I 



EARLY HISTORY 



OF THE 

REFORMED CHURCH 

IN PENNSYLVANIA. 



BY DANIEL MILLER. 



With Introduction by 

Prof. W. J. Hinke, D. D. 



Reading, Pa. : 
DANIEL MILLER, PUBLISHER, 
123 North Sixth Street. 

1906. 



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km 

Js± 7 oo. 

COPY 8 



COPYRIGHT, 1906, 
BY DANIEL MILLER. 



OCT 6 1906 




PREFACE. 



To the author of this volume the early history of 
the Reformed Church in Pennsylvania has been the 
subject of pleasant study for a long time. There are 
many facts connected with this history which are not 
only intensely interesting, but also calculated to prompt 
us to more fully appreciate our religious heritage. The 
history is presented in plain language and in a form 
which may be readily understood. It is often said that 
many writers assume too much intelligence on the part 
of the average reader, and fail to give all the facts con- 
nected with a subject. We have sought to present all 
the salient facts related to a subject, even at the risk of 
repeating some statements, so as to make matters easily 
understood. 

We hope the reader will find as much pleasure in 
reading this book as the author enjoyed in preparing 
it, although it involved a vast deal of time and research. 
In the preparation of this volume the author derived 
much aid from the recently published proceedings of 
the Coetus, and many unpublished reports and letters 
bearing on the early history of our Church. For access 
to the latter he is indebted to Dr. James I. Good. He 
is also under obligations to Prof. W. J. Hinke for valu- 
able information upon certain points. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The history of the Reformed Church in the United States has long 
been a subject of study. As early as the year 1817 a committee was 
appointed by Synod to prepare a historical sketch of the origin and growth 
of the Synod. This committee, consisting of Rev. William Hendel, Rev, 
John Henry Hoffmeier and Rev. Caspar Wack, Sr., examined the archives 
of Synod, located in the First Reformed Church at Lancaster, but found 
nothing that threw light upon the subject of their search. Finally one of 
the committee, no doubt Rev. Dr. Hendel, remembered that he had in his 
possession a booklet in the Dutch language, which turned out to be the 
diary of Rev. Michael Schlatter, printed at Amsterdam in 1751. On the 
basis of this report of Mr. Schlatter a short sketch of six and a half pages 
was prepared, of which 3000 copies were printed. 

After this first attempt of writing the history of our Church, it is 
interesting to note that the first larger book, dealing with the history of 
our Church, was published in Germany in 1846, being written by the 
first professor of theology elected by the Ohio Synod in 1838, Rev. I. G. 
Buettner, D. D., who returned to Germany in 1841. It is a volume of 
154 pages, entitled "The High German Reformed Church in the United 
States of North America from its First Founding to the Present Time." 
Schleiz, 1846. 

A more extensive history of the early period, written about the same 
time by Rev. Dr. Lewis Mayer, was unfortunately never published. 

Renewed impetus was given to historical studies by the works of Dr. 
Harbaugh, especially his " Life of Rev. Michael Schlatter" and " The 
Fathers of the Reformed Church." But it was not till 1885 that our 
Church had the first connected account of its history. In that year Rev. 
Dr. Joseph H. Dubbs published his excellent " Historical Manual of the 
Reformed Church in the United States," in which he summarized all that 
was then known of the history of our Church. 

Twelve years later another advance was made by the important dis- 
covery of the documents, relating to our Church, in Holland, which modi- 
fied to a large extent our knowledge of the earliest period of our history 
and compelled us to reconstruct certain parts altogether. This recon- 
struction was largely carried out by Rev. Dr. J. I. Good, through whose 
energy and zeal the Holland documents had been made accessible. In 
1897 Dr. Good published "Early Fathers of the Reformed Church" and 



INTRODUCTION. 



V 



" Historical Handbook of the Reformed Church," which were followed 
two years later by his still more important work " History of the Reformed 
Church in the United States, 1725-1792." 

Other historians have since followed in the new avenues opened by the 
recent discoveries, and have completed and elaborated our history through 
numerous monographs or comprehensive representations, like Rev, Dr. 
Dubbs' attractive and delightful book " The Reformed Church in Penn- 
sylvania," Lancaster, 1902. 

But the new documents have by no means been exhausted, nor is the 
knowledge of our local history complete. The present volume proves the 
former and adds considerably to the latter. The author is peculiarly fitted 
to engage in historical work. For twenty-five years his press has been 
sending out books dealing with Reformed Church history, among which 
we may mention the following : D. Y. Heisler, " Fathers of the German 
Reformed Church," Vol. V., Reading, 1881 ; C. Z Weiser, "A Monograph 
of the New Goshenhoppen and Great Swamp Reformed Charge, 1731- 
1881," Reading, 1882 ; Theodore Appel, "Recollections of College Life at 
Marshall College," Reading 1886; J. I. Good, "The Origin of the Re- 
formed Church in Germany," Reading, 1887 ; D. Y. Heisler, " The 
Fathers of the Reformed Church," Vol. VI., Reading, 1888 ; Thomas M. 
Yundt, "A History of Bethany Orphans' Home," Reading, 1888; J. I. 
Good, " Rambles Round Reformed Lands," Reading, 1889 ; A. R. Kremer, 
"A Biographical Sketch of John Williamson Nevin, D. D., LL. D.," 
Reading, 1890; J. I. Good, "History of the Reformed Church of Ger- 
many, 1620-1890," Reading, 1894 ; J. I. Good, " History of the Reformed 
Church in the United States. 1725-1792," Reading, 1899; C. Z. Weiser, 
"The Life of Conrad Weiser," second edition, Reading, 1899 ; Daniel Mil- 
ler, "History of the Reformed Church in Reading, Pa.," Reading, 1905. 
Besides these the author has published a number of sermon books, written 
by Reformed ministers, as well as other books calculated to instruct and 
edify our people. 

In the present volume the author has availed himself of the rich store- 
house of the Holland documents, as well as of the many historical articles 
which have appeared from to time in his paper, Reformed Church Rec- 
ord. He has presented his material in numerous sketches, which are 
well adapted to briDg out the many-sided character of our history. 

May this new contribution to our history do its share in keeping green 
the memory of our fathers, their heroic struggles and arduous labors. 
May it increase in our people their love for and devotion to their beloved 
Church, and lead them to a better realization of the blessed heritage which 
has been handed down to them. WM. J. HINKE. 

Philadelphia, August, 1906. 



I 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

1. The Beginning, 9 

2. The First Reformed Minister, 13 

3. A Voyage Nearly 200 Years Ago, . . . . 17 

4. Poverty of the Early Settlers, 23 

5. How and Where Our Forefathers Worshiped, 27 

6. Two Early Lay Preachers, 35 

7. The First Pastoral Charge, 39 

8. Early Churches, 43 

9. Early Church Debts, 50 

10. First Constitution of the Reformed Church, . 55 

11. Scarcity of Ministers, 59 

12. Confession of Early Reformed Ministers, . . 64 

13. Spirit of Early Ministers, 66 

14. Congregation of God in the Spirit, . . . . 69 

15. Rev. Boehm's Warnings, 72 

16. Early Church Conventions, 76 

17. Early Sects, 79 

18. Care of the Church in Holland, 83 

19. The Coetus, 91 

20. Elders at Coetus, 96 

21. " Censura Morum," 100 

22. Method of Voting, 102 

23. Early Church Quarrels, . . 104 

24. Charity Schools, Ill 



CONTENTS. Vn 

PAGE 

25. Pastoral Support, 115 

26. Pastoral Work, . . 120 

27. Perquisites, 123 

28. The Indian War, 125 

29. Eeformed Patriots, 132 

30. The Coetus and Gen. Washington, . . . .151 

31 . Languages Used by Coetus, 154 

32. Language Question, 157 

33. An Early Graveyard, 162 

34. Money Not Going to the Eight Place, . . .164 

35. Yellow Fever in Philadelphia, 169 

36. Early Eeformed Sunday Schools, . . . .172 

37. Services for Children, 179 

38. Early Church Societies, 182 

39. Ministerial Eelief Society, 188 

40. Early Educational Movements, 192 

41. Early Customs, 199 

42. Names of Congregations, 207 

43. Churches of Various Periods, 217 

44. Slavery in Pennsylvania, 225 

45. Liberty of the People, 230 

46. Boehm's Church, 234 

47. Family of Rev. John Philip Boehm, . . . 237 

48. The Church at Conestoga, 240 

49. Worthless Preachers, 247 

50. First Church North of the Blue Mountains, . 250 

51. A Minister's Tragic Death, 252 

52. Early Defections, 254 

53. Miscellaneous, 256 



VIII 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



PAGE 

First Church, Philadelphia, 30 

Conrad Tempelman's Home, 37 

Falkner Swamp Church, 41 

First Church, Reading, 45 

Rev. Michael Schlatter, 87 

School House, Reading, 112 

Col. Henry Bouquet, 127 

Capt. Peter Nagel, 139 

Col. Nicholas Lotz, . . . 140 

Gov. Joseph Hiester, 142 

Franklin College, Lancaster, 196 

Second Church, Reading, ........ 218 

Third Church Style, 220 

Modern Church, 223 



1. 

THE BEGINNING. 

Let us take a look at Pennsylvania as it existed in 
1710, the time when the first Reformed minister, Rev. 
Samuel Guldin, located here. Pennsylvania, as well as 
the state of Delaware, was the property of William 
Penn, who had purchased this territory* from the Brit- 
ish government. The father of William Penn was 
Admiral Sir William Penn, a noted English naval offi- 
cer. At the time of his death he held a claim of six- 
teen thousand pounds against the English government. 
This con-isted principally of money advanced and 
arrearages in his salary. This claim at the admiral's 
death descended to his son, William Penn. In 1680 
Mr. Penn asked the English government to give him a 
deed for the territory now embraced in Pennsylvania 
and Delaware in settlement of his claim. This was 
assented to, and on March 4, 1681, the King of Eng- 
land, Charles the Second, signed the deed. William 
Penn's object was to found a religious nation as a 
model of true freedom, where the oppressed of Europe 
would find a place of refuge. 

Penn visited his new possessions in 1682, and or- 
ganized a government. He appointed a governor and 
other officers. He returned to England in 1684. In 
1699 he made a second visit to Pennsylvania, and re- 
turned to England in 1701. It is an interesting state- 
2 



10 



EARLY HISTORY 



merit for us that the mother of William Penu was a 
member of the Reformed Dutch Church. Mr. Penn 
was a student in the Reformed university of Saumur 
in France, in 1662-3. In 1710, when Rev. Samuel 
Guldin came here, Penn's governor was Chas. Cookin. 

William Penn had the misfortune, like many other 
people, of getting deeply into debt. In 1707 he was 
involved in a costly law suit, and was obliged to mort- 
gage his American province for a loan of £6,600 ster- 
ling. In the following year, 1708, he was thrown into 
prison for debt, but released through the aid of friends. 

In order to extricate himself from his financial 
troubles, William Penn in 1712 agreed to sell his 
American possessions (Pennsylvania and Delaware) to 
Queen Anne, the Euglish ruler, for £12,000 sterling. 
Before the papers could be executed, William Penn 
was stricken with apoplexy, and the sale was not car- 
ried out. But for this occurrence our state would have 
fallen back to England. William Penn died on July 
30, 1718, and his property descended to his sons and 
afterwards to his grandsons. 

In 1710, when Guldin came here, there were only 
a few inhabited places in our state outside of Philadel- 
phia. In 1700 the city consisted of 700 houses and 
over 4500 inhabitants. The whole state was a vast 
forest, mostly inhabited by the Indians. In the east- 
ern part of the state there were a few settlements, out- 
side of which all was a vast forest. As far as we 
know, there was only one church outside of Philadel- 
phia in 1710, the one erected by Swedish Lutherans at 
Molatten, the present village of Douglassville, Berks 
county. This church is supposed to have been erected 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



11 



before 1703. Little was then known of the extent and 
character of the territory of the now great, state of 
Pennsylvania. 

It would be difficult to designate any particular 
date as the beginning of the Reformed Church in Penn- 
sylvania, because during a number of years the first 
congregations were only partially organized. In a 
general way the year 1720 may be accepted as the date 
of the beginning, because the Falkner Swamp congre- 
gation dates its beginning in that year. But even that 
congregation was not fully organized until several 
years after that date. All of the earlier congregations 
worshiped during a number of years in private houses, 
and were not fully organized. The people came to- 
gether to worship God in the best way possible under 
their unfavorable circumstances. They were led in 
their worship by pious laymen, of whom John Philip 
Boehm and Conrad Tempelman were the most promi- 
nent. These men led the people in prayer and praise, 
and read passages of Scripture and sermons for their 
edification. The first Reformed church of which we 
have any record was the one at Skippack, which was 
erected about 1727. 

But these men were not the first ones to conduct 
public worship. The first one to do this in Pennsyl- 
vania as a representative of the German Reformed 
Church was Rev. Samuel Guldin, who is mentioned 
elsewhere. But he did not organize any congregations. 
- The fact is that the beginning of the Reformed 
Church in Pennsylvania was a gradual matter. The 
people of certain districts met with some degree of reg- 
ularity in various private houses, but they were not 



12 



EARLY HISTORY 



formally organized. They had neither elders nor dea- 
cons. There was no one to ordain such. It is true, 
Eev. Mr. Guldin was here, but he appears to have 
lived quietly upon his farm, and there is no evidence 
that he made any efforts to organize the people. In a 
letter to Holland, dated February 13, 1733, it is stated 
that the Conestoga congregation (now in Lancaster 
city) was commenced in 1725, and was served by Rev. 
John P. Boehm. Two years later the congregation 
elected elders. The congregation was divided into six 
meeting places. Three of them were supplied by Rev. 
John Peter Miller. It is stated that Conrad Tempel- 
man was a reader at the time, and it is supposed that 
he supplied the other three places. 

Considering all the facts at hand, it seems to be 
proper to say that the Reformed Church in Pennsyl- 
vania had its origin here about 1720. 

The question may properly be asked, why did our 
Reformed forefathers come here ? The principal reason 
was religious persecution. It was this that drove the 
Germans in the Palatinate and the Huguenots of France 
from their homes. Many came to Pennsylvania to find 
an asylum in the free state which William Penn had 
founded. Here they found religious freedom, but aside 
from this great boon they had to endure severe hard- 
ships. The country was undeveloped. It was a vast 
forest. The pioneer settlers had to start at the very 
beginning in establishing new homes. The first thing 
to be done was the erection of small log cabins for their 
families. Then the land had to be cleared so as to 
raise bread from the virgin soil. These facts show what 
the people were willing to endure for religious freedom. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



13 



2. 

THE FIRST REFORMED MINISTER. 

The first Reformed minister who preached the gos- 
pel in Pennsylvania, of whom we have any record, was 
Rev. Samuel Guldin, who came here in 1710, landing 
at Philadelphia on September 23, with his wife and four 
children. He was a native of Berne, Switzerland. He 
was born in 1660 and baptized on April 8, 1664. The 
father's name was Joachim Guldin. The son was forty 
years of age when he came to America with his family 
in 1710. 

Samuel Guldin received a liberal education at Berne. 
He also studied at Geneva and Lausanne in Switzer- 
land, and also spent some time in Germany and Hol- 
land. He was a Pietist, which means an earnest Chris- 
tian. On this account he was called to suffer persecu- 
tion, and it was this which induced him to emigrate to 
America. In 1692 Mr. Guldin was made pastor of the 
church at Stettl en, Switzerland, near Berne. His earn- 
est preaching attracted great attention. Like the Mas- 
ter, the common people heard him gladly. But Guldin 
was not satisfied with his religious condition. He states 
that on August 4, 1693, he received new light and en- 
tered upon a fuller knowledge of the truth. He now 
preached with greater earnestness and eloquence. On 
December 26, 1696, he was elected associate pastor of 



14 



EARLY HISTORY 



the Minster, the principal church in the city of Berne, 
where his influence was greatly enlarged and all classes 
of people flocked to hear him. He insisted upon a 
change of heart and a pious life. His bold preaching 
brought him into conflict with the rulers of the Church. 

Rev. Guldin was cited to trial before the Great 
Council of the Canton of Berne, together with two other 
Pietists, named Koenig and Lutz. The trial ended on 
June 9, 1699, and all of the accused were found guilty. 
The charges were flimsy in character. The object of 
the trial appears to have been more to suppress Pietism 
than to punish the three individuals. One of the 
charges was that of " crowding the churches." This 
was directed against Guldin, who had attracted many 
country people to his church, and it was charged that 
the Sabbath was thereby being desecrated. It is also 
stated that other pastors were brought into disrepute 
and their feelings embittered ; that is, the people who 
were tired of the cold, formal preaching, went to hear 
the warm truth preached by Guldin. Then fault was 
found in the charges that some of the people in church 
had acquired the habit of quaking, somewhat like the 
Quakers in England. Objection was also made to meet- 
ings held without authority, at which psalms were sung 
and religious subjects considered ! These meetings were 
equivalent to prayer meetings. These charges show 
clearly that Berne was badly in need of a new reforma- 
tion. But we must remember that Church and State 
were united. 

Koenig was charged with having spoken disrespect- 
fully of the government and was deposed from the min- 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



15 



istry. Guldin and Lutz fared a little better. They 
were suspended from their pastoral charges and forbid- 
den to preach, and also forbidden to attend the private 
(prayer) meetings under penalty of being deposed from 
the ministry. If they would renounce Pietism, they 
could after awhile be appointed to inferior positions as 
far away from Berne as possible. 

Guldin was offered an obscure charge in the moun- 
tains, but declined, and expresssed himself freely about 
the Council. For this he was arrested and imprisoned 
for some time. After his release he lived for several 
years in retirement in a village near Berne. There is no 
doubt that he now determined to emigrate to America, 
where he could enjoy religious freedom. But here he 
had to spend an isolated life and could not fully employ 
his excellent talents in the service of the Master. 

As stated before, Rev. Samuel Guldin landed at 
Philadelphia on September 23, 1710, with his family. 
(See his account of the long voyage elsewhere.) He 
located first at " Rocksburg," now Roxboro, a short 
distance north of Philadelphia, subsequently in Oley, 
Berks county. It is a matter of much regret that but 
little is known of his work here as a minister. He 
preached in houses, barns and groves as opportunity 
offered. Churches there were none. He preached ten 
years before the pious laymen Boehm and Tempelman 
commenced to read sermons to the people and lead them 
in worship. He was the only Reformed minister in 
Pennsylvania. What an isolated position he occupied. 
After the Reformed church in Germantown had been 
erected in 1733, Mr. Guldin preached occasionally 



16 



EARLY HISTORY 



there, according to the report of Rev. Boehm in 1739. 
In 1743 Mr. Guldin took a firm stand against Count 
ZinzendorFs movement to unite all the Protestants in 
Pennsylvania into one body called ''The Congregation 
of God in the Spirit." He had attended the first synod 
of the movement in 1742, but left it with some others, 
and in 1743 issued a book against the movement under 
the title of " Unpartisan Witness." Guldin was now 
an old man, but he saw the tendency of the new move- 
ment, and did what he could to induce the Reformed 
people to be faithful to their standards and Church. 
He took the same position as Rev. J. P. Boehm on this 
subject. 

Several years after publishing his book Rev. Mr. 
Guldin died, viz., on December 31, 1745, at Philadel- 
phia, at the age of about eighty-one years. Tradition 
tells us that he was buried m the family graveyard in 
Oley. This would imply that he had been on a visit 
to Philadelphia, when death overtook him. 

This is the record of the first Reformed minister in 
Pennsylvania. Rev. John C. Guldin, at one time pas- 
tor at Brownback's church, Cnester county, was one of 
his great-great-grandsons, and Rev. James G. Dengler, 
of Harrisburg, Pa., is a lineal descendant on the mater- 
nal side of Rev. Samuel Guldin. 

It has at times been claimed that Rev. Henry Hae- 
ger, who with twelve families located in Virginia about 
1714, was the first German Reformed minister in 
America, but this is an error. It is however probable 
that his people erected the first German Reformed 
church in this country at Germantown, N. C, where 
they located in 1718. 



OF THE KEFORMED CHURCH. 



17 



3. 

A VOYAGE NEARLY 200 YEARS AGO. 

Rev. Samuel Guldin, the first Reformed minister 
in Pennsylvania, a short sketch of whose life is given 
elsewhere, landed with his wife and four children at 
Philadelphia on September 23, 1710, after a long and 
tedious voyage. 

Under date of December 1, 1710, Mr. Guldin wrote 
a lengthy report of the voyage of himself and family 
across the Atlantic. They sailed from London on July 
5 and reached Philadelphia on September 23, 1710. 
They were thus eleven weeks or nearly three months 
on the water. The voyage is now made in six days by 
our modern great ships. Then there were of course no 
steamships. Mr. Guldin's description of the voyage is 
quite interesting, and we give the following extracts 
from it : 

The ship in which the Guldin family came was 
called "Maria Hope." The report of Mr. Guldin 
abounds in expressions of the Lord's goodness. Neither 
one of the Guldin family (parents and four children) 
was sick during the voyage. Many others were sick, 
including the crew and the captain. The ship " Maria 
Hope" was for some distance guarded by several Rus- 
sian warships. Mr. Guldin writes : 

" The journey was very tedious and toilsome, not 
only on account of the many dangers, the tempestuous 



18 



EARLY HISTORY 



ocean, the hidden cliffs and sand banks, and by reason 
of the roving robbers and pirates, but especially on ac- 
count of the hard, unhealthy food on the ship, intoler- 
able to many, through which the people became easily 
sick and some died. But the Lord has led us safely 
through all this, so that none of the passengers died. 
On July 5, 1710, we sailed from London. Within the 
first hour after departure our ship ran into a little 
boat, by which a boy drowned. Afterward it ran into 
another ship, and both ships were damaged, the corn- 
ers being knocked from our ship. In consequence of 
this our captain was arrested by a warship on July 8, 
and another captain was given us at Gravesend. We 
soon after encountered a violent storm, and many peo- 
ple took sick, so that they could no longer eat the 
salted meat which was cooked in salt water. After 
that time neither I nor any of my children tasted any 
meat during the whole journey. During the night of 
July 21 during a violent storm our ship collided with 
another vessel, which brought us great danger. On the 
evening of July 25 we saw seven French warships with 
white flags, and everybody was in great alarm all night, 
because there were only four warships with us. But 
we saw these ships no more. On the evening of July 
25 the Russian fleet left us, and we fell in with four 
ships all bound for America. On J uly 30 we saw the 
island Festland. This was the last land we saw, and 
we were now on the great ocean. We had a good wind, 
so that at times we made eight miles an hour. Dur- 
ing the early days of August two of the ships left us, 
one going to Jamaica, the other to Guiana. The third 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



19 



was going to Carolina, and left us afterward. From 
August 8 to 12 we saw a large number of fishes, called 
porpoises, which was soon followed by a storm. On 
August 14 the fourth ship left us, going to New Eng- 
land. On August 17 the storm was so severe that we 
could have only half a sail hoisted. The rudder had 
to be tied securely, and during the whole night we had 
to leave the ship to the mercy of wind and waves. The 
waves were like mountains, and the ship was sometimes 
so high that we thought we would be capsized. Then 
again it went down so deep that it appeared as though 
we would be hurled into the depths, and yet with all 
that I and my children had no fear. After this we saw 
many fishes. On September 9 we saw several large 
fishes following each other like cows. On September 
12 we had the best wind of all, and made nine miles 
an hour. On September 15 we could touch bottom 
with our sounding line. The water was 15 fathoms 
deep, that is, 30 English or 45 German yards. 

" On the morning of September 16 we saw land for 
the first time, and greatly rejoiced that the Lord had 
helped us so far. On the same day we entered the 
Delaware river so far that we were safe from all pir- 
ates. The water was only six fathoms deep, and we 
could not proceed during the night. Next day (Sept. 
17) we started with the tide of the ocean, but ran upon 
a sand bank, and we were kept busy all afternoon try- 
ing to get off again. However we had to stay there 
during the night. On September 18 we obtained a 
pilot to conduct us up the Delaware, and with it came 
the first-fruits of the new land's apples and peaches. 



20 



EARLY HISTORY 



On September 20 we arrived at Newcastle, where some 
of us went on land for the first time. We were well 
received by some people, who gave us not only to eat 
and drink, but also gave us apples aud peaches to take 
back to the ship- — as many as we could carry. On 
September 21, as we coutinued, others came to us on 
the ship, who invited the captain and all the people to 
a dinner. Others brought large sacks of apples on the 
ship to divide among the people. The same happened 
to some of us who left the ship on September 22, going 
some miles on foot until we saw Philadelphia for the 
first time from a distance, and came into the city early 
on the 23d of September, where the ship also arrived 
safely at noon. 

" On September 24 my family and others disem- 
barked, and were received by good friends into their 
houses for several days free and without money, and 
w T ere shown much love. We remained there until 
September 27, when a Christian friend of my country- 
men and relatives procured a good house for us eight 
miles from the city, among good friends, which he gave 
us for the winter, or as long as we should need it. 

" Thus the long and tedious journey had come to an 
end. It took us eleven weeks from London to Phila- 
delphia, but only seven weeks from one side of the 
ocean to the other. Three weeks we spent with the 
Russian fleet along the coast of England and Scotland, 
and eight days on the Delaware. Close by the house 
of my friend I purchased the first plantation I have 
seen, where we shall begin to live next spring. The 
place is called Rocksburg, or fortress of rocks, as the 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



21 



whole country lies upon many rocks. Thus our ark 
has come to rest on a mountain. 

" God has wonderfully" preserved us. Others who 
went with the fleet last spring have not only been on . 
board the ship twenty-seven weeks, but many of them 
have died. Among these the dear and well-known 
Maurice lost his life at sea. Who would have thought 
that such a strong young man would not be able to 
pass through this journey, whilst weak ones were able 
to endure it. The ship upon which the dear Maurice 
died suffered shipwreck at the end of its journey along 
the coast of New York. All the people were saved, 
but the ship was lost, and nearly all the goods were 
either lost or spoiled, and much of what was brought 
to the land was stolen during the confusion. From 
this we can see why the dear Lord permitted us to 
miss the fleet in the spring. Our coming too late was 
for our own good. 

" We also arrived during the time when apples and 
peaches were plentiful, and not during a dry and bar- 
ren season, so that we had at once enough to eat of the 
fruits of the land, and have already gathered a full 
harvest before we have labored. Others have planted 
for us. We have obtained so much fruit that the 
whole house has been filled, above and below. We 
dried so much fruit that we have enough not only for 
this winter, but also for the coming summer. The 
Lord has amply provided for us on both sides of the 
great ocean. 

" I should now close this big letter, if I would not 
want to give you a short account of the conditions of 



22 EARLY HISTORY 

the land, as far as they have come to my knowledge. 
The country in itself is very good, but not everything 
is true which has been circulated about it. This coun- 
try has mountains and valleys, good and bad, sandy 
and clayey. There is good water, lumber and stones 
enough to build. During the summer, because of the 
intense heat, it has unusual luxuriousness, causing 
everything to grow very rapidly, so that within six 
years the seeds have become trees yielding fruit. But 
for this reason the land is drained all the more easily. 
As a result the land which was good before becomes 
bad, as can be seen in Germantown, where the land is 
not cultivated. Apples and peaches are very plentiful, 
which grow up from seeds without being grafted. 
They are very good and so plenty as I have never seen 
before. Pigs and horses eat more of these here than 
people do in many places in Germany. There are 
many chestnut trees here, but they are very small. 
There are many oak trees, but few beeches, also pop- 
lars." 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



23 



4. 

POVERTY OF THE EARLY SETTLERS. 

The condition of the early settlers in Pennsylvania 
was sad. They were with few exceptions very poor. 
Many of them had come here after the devastating re- 
ligious wars in Europe. They came largely at the in- 
vitation of William Penn, who had a warm interest in 
the Reformed people, partly because his mother had 
been Reformed, and also because he knew they would 
make excellent settlers for his province Pennsylvania. 
The Palatines then at Schoharie, N. Y., came to Tul- 
pehocken principally because Sir William Keith, Penn's 
governor of Pennsylvania, on a visit to New York 
"state, "informed them of the freedom and justice ac- 
corded to their countrymen in Pennsylvania." Many 
Palatines had already come to Pennsylvania directly 
from Europe, and their good treatment was published 
far and wide. In 1717 three shiploads of Palatines 
landed at Philadelphia. 

Most of the people came practically empty-handed. 
They took up land on credit, and the payment of inter- 
est was burdensome. Many were brought over by the 
Land Companies, and as they had no money to pay for 
their passage, they were sold at Philadelphia to serve 
a certain period of time, usually from three to five 
years. These people were called Redemptioners. 
Many were sold to English people in Philadelphia, 



24 



EARLY HISTORY 



others to the same class nearby. Thus there were 
white slaves in Pennsylvania at one time. The sys- 
tem was abolished in 1750. 

Revs. John B. Rieger and John J. Diemer made 
an extended report on the condition of the people here 
to the Synodieal Deputies in Holland under date of 
March 4, 1732. We make these extracts from their 
report : 

" We think there are altogether 15-16,000 German 
Reformed in Pennsylvania, but these people live scat- 
tered over more than three hundred miles of territory, 
and there are no churches in the land. We have thus 
far only two regularly called ministers A and it is almost 
impossible to ascertain the actual number of members. 
The most of those who come here are compelled to sell 
themselves for their passage money, and also their chil- 
dren, who generally must serve until their twentieth 
year. Here in Philadelphia some 100 are in the ser- 
vice of the English people, but they have the privilege 
to attend our service. Others in the country who have 
no opportunity for the exercise of the Reformed relig- 
ion, resort to other sects, of which there are a great 
number in the land, or they accustom themselves to 
live without any religion. 

" There is in this province only one actual city, 
Philadelphia, and two newly laid out, Germantown 
and the new town at Conestoga (Lancaster). There 
are several places which are called townships where 
neighbors live one, two and more miles from each 
other. These are Skippack, New Hanover, Oley, 
Maxatawny, Tulpehocken, Cocalico, Go^henhoppen and 
Conestoga. [Reading had no existence then.] We 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



25 



have no candidates at all for the ministry, and only a 
few school teachers, because the people live so far from 
each other that they cannot send many children to one 
locality, wherefore the children must be allowed to grow 
up in the greatest ignorance. 

" Most of the country people live so far away from 
town, that even when they have some produce, they 
cannot turn it into money, for being six to eight days 
under way, the cost of carriage would not even be paid. 
At Philadelphia, to which place most of the grain is 
shipped, there are only ten families who are well-to-do, 
all the others are in service. Of the townships Skip- 
pack is the most thickly settled, where about forty 
families may be counted, but they are for the most part 
poor. 

" Every year many poor people arrive here, who wish 
to be assisted by their friends to pay their passage 
money. During the past year (1 731) nearly 4000 souls 
arrived in ten ships. By far the smaller number had 
any means, and the most of them had to be sold for 
their passage money. This causes much money to be 
sent out of the land, whereas it is scarce enough already. 
When these people have served out their time, they are 
just as poor as when they first arrived, and it takes a 
long time until they contribute anything to the church." 

Rev. John P. Boehm, who did very much for the 
Reformed people, was a most unselfish man. In a re- 
port to the Classis, January 30, 1729, he states that he 
came here with little means and had a hard struggle to 
obtain bread for his family, parents and six children, 
until he could secure it from the soil. He lived upon 
3 



26 EARLY HISTORY 

rented land and had to pay interest. When he had 
worked a good while (1720 to 1725) and could hope to 
begin to pay his debts, he was called to serve the peo- 
ple as their minister, practically without salary. He 
served them during four and one-half years without or- 
dination, and during this time received only forty pounds 
for salary. This was about $200 in that time. Both 
before and after his ordination he worked on the farm 
to support his family, when not absent in the perform- 
ance of ministerial duties. Instead of paying his debts, 
they increased. By and by his bodily vigor decreased, 
which made his lot harder. He pleaded with theClas- 
sis for aid. 

In his report of 1739 Rev. Mr. Boehm states that 
the people at Falkner Swamp, White Marsh, Oley and 
Philadelphia had no churches yet. Services were held 
in houses and barns. He states that the people at 
Gagushi (Hain's in Berks county) had a little wooden 
church. He also states that in the whole country there 
was no dwelling for a minister or a school teacher. 

It is difficult for the people of the present day to 
form a proper conception of the condition of the early 
settlers. The people lived in rude log huts, with very 
little furniture. In 1744 a minister remained over 
night with a family in York county. There were no 
beds or bedsteads in the log cabin. It is stated that 
all slept in one room — the parents in one corner, several 
children io another and the minister in a third, and all 
upon straw. 

In 1753 the schoolmaster at Cocalico (Bethany, near 
Lititz) stated that he lived during the winter on bread 
and water. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



27 



5. 

HOW AND WHERE OUR FOREFATHERS WORSHIPED. 

In the early history of Pennsylvania the Reformed 
people had only a few ministers and no churches in 
which to worship. They, however, held services in 
private houses aud had sermons read for their instruc- 
tion and edification. As a rule the schoolmasters con- 
ducted the services and read the sermons from books. 
Of course all was in German. English services came 
at a later date. (In the city of Reading there was no 
English preaching all the way down to 1812.) 

For many years the people were not only without 
churches and ministers, but also without Bibles and 
other good books. Some had brought Bibles, hymn 
books and catechisms along with them from the Father- 
land. But not all The consequence was great igno- 
rance in religious matters. Rev. M. Schlatter brought 
several hundred Bibles with him when he returned from 
his visit to Europe in 1752. Some of these Bibles were 
given to churches, and for a long time nearly all Re- 
formed ministers here used these Bibles in preaching. 
One of these Schlatter Bibles is still in possession of 
Muddy Creek congregation. Another one is in posses- 
sion of Falkner Swamp congregation. Other Bibles 
were given to families. 

The first organized Reformed congregations were 
those of Falkner Swamp, Skippack and Whitemarsh. 



28 



EARLY HISTORY 



Before these were organized some of the Reformed peo- 
ple of the places named went all the way to Philadel- 
phia to receive the communion in the Presbyterian 
church. This was before 1725. In that year Mr. 
John P. Boehm commenced preaching at these places 
without being ordained, at the earnest solicitation of the 
people, after having for several years conducted servi- 
ces as a reader of sermons. During a number of years 
the services were held in houses and barns. In the 
course of time small log churches were erected, but as 
the people were very poor, they could not pay for even 
such, and the consequence was debts resting on the 
humble houses of worship. 

The Falkner Swamp congregation was founded in 
1720. From that time until 1725 Mr. Boehm read 
sermons for the people. In 1725 he entered upon the 
full ministry. He held the first communion there on 
October 15, 1725, with 40 guests. The services were 
held in houses and barns until 1740, a period of twenty 
years. In a report, dated July 25, 1741, Mr. Boehm 
states that the first service in the new church was held 
on June 21, 1740. He also states that the people still 
owed sixty pounds on the church, which was a frame 
building. The former place of worship had been sold. 

At Skippack there was a frame church erected in 
1727, but the notorious Jacob ReifP had it erected upon 
his land, and therefore controlled it. When he was 
afterwards asked to render an account of his collections 
in Europe for the churches at Skippack and Philadel- 
phia, he was angered and refused to allow the Reformed 
people to worship in the church except those who sided 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



29 



with him. They therefore purchased some land below 
Skippack, and Mr. Boehm made himself personally re- 
sponsible for the payment. He asked aid from Hol- 
land for these people in 1744, and stated that he had 
not received a penny from these people, because they 
were poor. He lived in his own house and tilled a 
small farm for the support of his family. Soon after 
Rev. Michael Schlatter had arrived in Pennsylvania in 
1746 he on August 7 went to the farm of Mr. Boehm 
and found him working in a field. The Skippack peo- 
ple in 1760 reorganized themselves and founded the 
Wentz congregation, and in 1762 erected the first church 
upon the land acquired as above stated. 

Peter Kalm, in describing his travels in America, 
states that the Reformed people of Philadelphia in their 
early history attended the German Lutheran services 
in the Swedish church which was founded by Swedish 
Lutherans, who settled on the banks of the Delaware in 
the southern part of Philadelphia in April, 1638, and 
dedicated their first house of worship on September 4, 
1646. Kalm says the name of the minister was Rev. 
Dylander. (Rev. Dy lander came to America in 1737.) 

In the year 1744 Mr. Boehm reported that the Re- 
formed people in Philadelphia had until then worshiped 
in an old and dilapidated " butcher's house," in com- 
mon with the Lutherans, at a rental of four pounds per 
year. (It must be assumed that the house and not the 
butcher was dilapidated.) From the above time on the 
Reformed had to pay the rent alone, since the Luther- 
ans had erected a church for themselves, 45 by 70 feet 
in size. This old house of worship was owned by Wra, 



30 



EARLY HISTORY 



Allen and stood on Arch street, near the Quaker burial 
ground. Tradition says that the building was originally 
a baru. The Reformed congregation was organized by 
Rev. Geo. M. Weiss soon after his arrival in 1727. 
The exact date is unknown, but it is supposed to be 
1728. The people worshiped in a rented place (likely 
the butcher's house) until the completion of their first 

church on Sassafras 
(now Race) street, 
corner of 4th street. 
On Suuday, Decem- 
ber 6, 1747, Rev. Mr. 
Schlatter prea c h e d 
the first sermon in 
it. The church was 
not yet plastered, and 
there was neither gal- 
lery nor window, as 
the record states. 
Thus the people wor- 
shiped in winter 
without heat. Stoves 
would have been of 
no use, when there were no windows. The church 
was a small six-cornered building. There was a 
small steeple or cupola in the centre. The humble 
house of worship was surmounted by a weather-vane in 
the form of a rooster, which was a Holland symbol. 
We are not told how soon the little new six- cornered 
church was completed. The people of those days had 
a high regard for public worship. For a long time a 




First Chureh, Philadelphia. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



31 



chain was stretched across the street during the time of 
worship, so that the congregation might not be dis- 
turbed by passing vehicles. Now many congregations 
are disturbed by trolley and steam cars. 

In the Tulpehocken region in the western part of 
Berks county there were two Tulpehocken Reformed 
congregations. The first congregation was organized in 
1727 by Palatines coming with Conrad Weiser, sr., from 
Schoharie, N. Y., in 1723, and for some years wor- 
shiped with the Lutherans in the Reed church, which 
is supposed to have been the first union church of the 
two denominations in this country. Rev. J. P. Boehm 
administered the first communion at Tulpehocken in 
October, 1727, to 32 persons. After worshiping some 
years in the Reed church the Reformed people with- 
drew and erected a small log church on four acres of 
ground at the place now known as Host church, five 
miles north of Womelsdorf, Pa. In 1743 a new log 
church was erected here. The congregation was pretty 
large. Before there was a regular pastor, Francis Lay- 
enberger, a schoolmaster, conducted worship and read 
sermons for the people. He is said to have been a 
faithful watchman against the sects. 

The location at Host was not satisfactory to many 
of the congregation, because it was too far away from 
those in the western part. In 1738 they secured 100 
acres of land 1J miles west of Stouchsburg and erected 
a church upon it. This congregation is known as Trin- 
ity Tulpehocken church. Thus there were two Tulpe- 
hocken churches, which caused much confusion in mat- 
ters of history. 



32 



EARLY HISTORY 



The Tulpehocken region was undoubtedly the strong- 
est Reformed settlement at that time. Rev. Mr. 
Schlatter reports that on September 21, 1746, Rev. 
Mr. Boehm made a special journey to Tulpehocken " to 
notify the two congregations there to assemble on Sept. 
25 to regulate their church affairs." On Sunday fol- 
lowing, September 25, Mr. Schlatter preached there, 
and with Rev. Mr. Boehm administered the commun- 
ion to 101 persons. Mr. S. states that there were be- 
sides these over 600 persons inside and outside the 
church, but he fails to state which one of the two 
churches it was. He also states that the congregation 
numbered almost 500 souls or 200 families. 

Another Reformed church organized at an early 
date in the Tulpehocken region is the well-known 
Ham's church, near Wernersville. It is stated that 
the organization was effected in the nearby dwelling 
house of Conrad Kershner, the ancestor of the present 
pastor, Rev. W. J. Kershner. The second house on 
the Kershner farm was erected in 1755, and is still 
standing. It is a most substantial stone building, 
whose chimney above the roof is five feet wide. The 
first church here was erected in 1730 by Reformed 
Palatines on five acres of land, which was donated by 
George Hain, by whose name the church is still known, 
although the proper name is St. John's. The congre- 
gation never received a deed for the five acres of 
ground. The first church was used as a fort for the 
protection of the people against the Indians, who were 
numerous in the region. During the Indian war the 
people took their arms with them to the church, and 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



33 



whilst some of them were at worship inside, others 
stood on guard outside. The church was also used for 
school purposes. The Hain church was from the be- 
ginning exclusively Reformed, and has ever remained so. 

The Reading Reformed people erected their first 
church in 1755. It was a small log church, and at 
first it contained neither floor nor stove. There was a 
little belfry containing a bell, which was rung on the 
outside by means of a rope. Here the people sat on 
rude benches and listened to long sermons. 

In Lebanon county Conrad Tempelman, a pious 
tailor, preached in his own humble home near Corn- 
wall and many other places without ordination from 
1727 until 1751, when upon the recommendation of 
Mr. Schlatter he was ordained. Like Mr. Boehm he 
did this because of the importunity of the people, who 
were eager for God's word, but had no ordained minis- 
ters. In 1744 the Reformed people united with the 
Lutherans in erecting a small log church at a place 
ever since known as Hill church, four miles west of 
Lebanon, Pa. It could not be completed for a long 
time, and at first the people sat on rude logs during 
worship. As at Hain's church, some of the members 
stood guard on the outside agaiust the Indians, whilst 
the others worshiped inside. Conrad Tempelman min- 
istered to the Reformed people. 

In 1739 Rev. Mr. Boehm reported that there was 
not in the whole country among the Reformed people a 
parsonage or a house for a schoolmaster. 

The list of primitive churches might be continued, 
but space forbids. . The instauces cited are sufficient to 



34 



EARLY HISTORY 



show us the spiritual destitution of the people in the 
early days of the Church in Pennsylvania. They were 
truly, Mr. Schlatter says, like sheep without a shep- 
herd. Mr. Boehm in his reports shows that his heart 
was distressed as he looked upon them in their need. 
Both he and Schlatter pleaded earnestly for them with 
the Fathers in Holland, and those godly people across 
the Atlantic Ocean took pity upon their brethren in 
the new world, and sent them aid. As we read about 
the destitution of our fathers we should learn to more 
fully appreciate our great blessings. This is really one 
of the motives for penning these lines. 

In his earnest appeal to the people of Holland for 
aid in 1751 Mr. Schlatter stated that he had visited 46 
congregatious and did all he could to supply them with 
preaching. Of the 46, 32 were still without regular 
ministrations, and were served only occasionally, us- 
ually twice a year. Only 12 had regular ministers. 
Two were supplied by lay readers. Besides these there 
were a number of other congregations which Schlatter 
had not yet visited. He stated that many people bear- 
ing the name Reformed were in danger of falling into 
a new heathenism and becoming like the Indians, or 
worse. Most lamentable of all he denominates the 
condition of the children, who were without instruction 
or care, and were growing up as for hell." Many 
people were without schools, and had no money to 
secure Bibles or other books. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



35 

t 



6. 

TWO EARLY LAY PREACHERS. 

It is an interesting fact that the foundations for the 
Reformed Church in Pennsylvania were laid by two 
lay preachers — men who had not been ordained to the 
ministry — John Philip Boehm and Conrad Tempel- 
man. Both commenced to preach at about the same 
time, in 1725, and both did it for the same reason— 
because the people implored them to do this in the 
absence of regularly ordained ministers. Mr. Boehm 
commenced to preach in Montgomery county, whilst 
Mr. Tempelman did so in Lebanon county. Mr. 
Boehm was a schoolmaster by profession and Mr. Tem- 
pelman was a tailor by occupation. Both were pious 
men, and did much good. They led the people in wor- 
ship and explained the word of God to them until or- 
dained ministers came here. Both were later ordained, 
and continued in the good work until death. 

John Philip Boehm was the son of a Reformed min- 
ister, and was born at Hochstadt, Germany. He was 
baptized on Nov. 25, 1683. He chose teaching as his 
profession. He came to America about the year 1720. 
and settled in Montgomery county. He was well edu- 
cated and pious. During several years he served the 
people as a reader and conducted services for them. 
During five years the people urged him to enter fully 



36 



EARLY HISTORY 



upon the ministry, but he declined. Finally they en- 
treated him with tears to become their pastor. He fin- 
ally consented, " protesting before God that he could 
not justify his refusal of so necessary a work." He 
commenced to preach regularly in 1725, and adminis- 
tered the com mm union for the first time on October 
15, 1725, at Falkner Swamp to 40 members; in No- 
vember at Skippack to 37 members, and on December 
23, 1725, at White Marsh to 24 members. Mr. Boehm 
preached as a layman from 1725 until November 23, 
1729, when he was ordained by a committee of the 
Dutch Reformed Church in New York. He continued 
his labors and preached faithfully until April 30, 1749, 
when he suddenly died at Egypt, Lehigh county, 
whither he had gone to administer the communion, in 
his sixty-sixth year. He was buried under the pulpit 
of Boehni's church in Montgomery county, wdiose con- 
gregation he had organized about the year 1740. It 
was largely due to the firm stand of Rev. Mr. Boehm 
that the Reformed people were not absorbed by the 
Moravian Church by means of the movement inaugu- 
rated by Count Zinzendorf in 1741. Mr. Boehm is- 
sued two letters of warning to the Reformed people 
against the movement, one bearing date of August 23, 
1742, and the other bearing date of May 19, 1743. A 
number of Reformed ministers were drawn into the 
movement, but Mr. Boehm stood firm in favor of the 
old Reformed doctrines and position. 

Conrad Tempelman was born at Weinheim in the 
Palatinate, Germany, March 22, 1692. He was a 
tailor by occupation, and worked at this trade in the 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



37 



city of Heidelberg. He came to America about the 
year 1721, and located several miles south of Lebanon, 
where he took up 200 acres of land. The place is still 
known as Tempelman Hill. Some years ago a chapel 
was erected at the place, and in 1888 a Reformed con- 
gregation was organized in it. The small flock is now 
being supplied by Rev. A. J. Bachman. Mr. Tempel- 
man commenced preaching about the same time as 
Rev. Mr. Boehm, in the year 1725. He did this be- 
cause the people had no regular minister, and appealed 
to him, as did others to Mr. Boehm. He preached at 
many places in Leb- 
anon and Lancaster 
counties. In June 
of 1747 Rev. Mich- 
ael Schlatter admin- 
istered the commun- 
ion at Muddy Creek, 
Lancaster county, 

and met Mr. Tem- Mr. Tempelman's Home. 

pelman there. After administering the communion 
Schlatter asked Tempelman to preach a thanksgiving 
sermon, which he did, and Schlatter was so much 
pleased with it that he recommended that Mr. Tempel- 
man should be ordained. Schlatter wrote to the Fath- 
ers in Holland for permission, and Mr. Tempelman 
was ordained in 1751, at the age of 59 years, after he 
had preached about twenty-six years as a layman. He 
continued to preach until near his end. In 1757 he 
became blind, but continued to preach in a few churches 
and in his own house He had to be led into the 




38 



EARLY HISTORY 



church and into the pulpit. He died about the year 
1761, at the age of 69 years, and was buried near his 
home. 

The life and work of these two lay preachers, 
Boehm and Ternpelman, are worthy of the highest com- 
mendation. They did what they could to relieve the 
great spiritual want of the people. They did not enter 
rashly upon the work of the ministry, but solely because 
of the importunity of the people. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



39 



7. 

THE FIRST PASTORAL CHARGE. 

The oldest Reformed congregation in Pennsylvania 
is the one known as Falkner Swamp in the north west- 
ern "part of Montgomery county, near the line of Berks. 
It dates back to 1720, and is the oldest Reformed con- 
gregation with a continuous history. 

The Dutch Reformed preceded the German Re- 
formed in eastern Pennsylvania. They settled at an 
early date in j New Jersey. Some of their people 
crossed the Delaware river and settled in Bucks coun- 
ty, Pa., where they organized a Dutch Reformed 
church at Neshaminy. In 1710 Rev. Paul Van Vlecq 
became pastor of this Dutch church. He at once also 
began to preach to the German Reformed located in 
the neighborhood. On May 29, 1710, he visited Skip- 
pack in Montgomery county, and baptizen 16 children. 
On June 4 of the same year he visited White Marsh 
and organized the first German Reformed congregation 
in Pennsylvania. He ordained two elders and two 
deacons. One of the deacons was William Dewees. 
In 1711 the congregation consisted of 15 members. 
Rev. Mr. Van Vlecq remained only a few years in 
the region, and left America in 1715. After his de- 
parture the congregation at White Marsh became ex- 
tinct. In 1725 the congregation was reorganized by 



40 



EARLY HISTORY 



Rev. J. P. Boehm, with Mr. William Dewees as one 
of the consistory. This congregation never had a 
church. The services were held in the house of Mr* 
Deweesi He was an excellent, pious man. In 1710 
he with Henry Antes established the second paper mill 
in this country on the west side of the Wissahickon 
creek. Rev. Mr. Boehm reported in 1744 that the 
people at White Marsh had as yet no church, but dur- 
ing all these years since the beginning had held their 
services in the house of Elder Wm. Dewees without 
charge. Of him Mr. Boehm says : " That honest man 
cherishes a steadfast and pious hope that God will yet 
furnish means for a church." But his wish was not 
fulfilled. After Mr. Dewees' death the congregation 
was again dissolved, and the members united with the 
congregations at Witpen (now Boehm ? s) and German- 
town. After 1800 the congregation in White Marsh 
was once more revived, and is now located at Fort 
Washington, with Rev. C. A. Santee as pastor. 

The congregation at Falkner Swamp was organized 
in 1720, and its history was not interrupted to this 
day. The Frankfort Company purchased 22,377 
acres of land from William Penn in what is now the 
northern part of Montgomery and the southern part of 
Berks county. This tract extended from the Schuyl- 
kill river to Pennsburg. In the year 1700 Daniel 
Falkner was made one of the company's agents to sell 
this land to settlers. The region south of Boyertown 
was largely meadow land, and the district received the 
name Falkner's Swamp, by which it is still known. 
The congregation was always exclusively Reformed. 



OF THE REFOEMED CHUECH. 



41 



Its first church was erected between 1739 and 1743, 
according to the reports of Rev. Mr. Boehm, the first 
pastor. It was a frame building, the first one of that 
kind we read of up to that time. There was a debt of 
60 pounds resting upon it. 

The congregation at Skippack was organized, as is 
supposed, in the same year as the one in Falkner 



I 




Present Falkner Swamp Church 



Swamp, in 1720. According to the report of Rev. Mr. 
Boehm of 1739, a log church was erected about 1727, 
after the people had worshiped and Rev. J. P. Boehm 
had preached to them in private houses during seven 
years. The church was dedicated June 22, 1729. Sin- 
gularly and unfortunately Jacob ReifF, one of the meni- 
4 



42 



EARLY HISTORY 



bers, had the lot upon which *the church was erected 
transferred to his name. This led to strife and confusion, 
and eventually to the dissolution of the congregation. 
Mr. Reiff locked the church against Rev. Mr. Boehm, 
the regular pastor. Each had his friends, and there 
were two parties. Mr. Reiff had made a journey to 
Europe in 1730 with Rev. G. M. Weiss to collect 
money for the congregations at Skippack and Philadel- 
phia. Upon his return in 1732 he refused to render 
an account of his collections, and this was the begin- 
ning of the trouble. Reiff permitted other ministers to 
preach in the church on his land. Rev. Mr. Boehm 
was compelled to reorganize the congregation and to 
purchase some laud a short distance south of Skippack, 
upon which about 1762 the first Wentz church was 
erected. The log church at Skippack stood a short 
distance east of the place. It was demolished in 1760. 
The graveyard was not kept up, and the ground under 
which the first settlers are resting is now farm land. 

These three congregations, White Marsh, Falkner 
Swamp and Skippack, composed the original pastoral 
charge of Rev. John Philip Boehm when he entered 
upon his ministry in 1725, at the earnest request of 
the people. But his labors were not long confined to 
these congregations. His ministrations were soon de- 
manded from all directions, and he preached at many 
points — Philadelphia, Tulpehocken, Cocalico, Cone- 
stoga, etc. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



43 



8. 

EARLY CHURCHES. 

During a number of years the first Reformed con- 
gregations had no churches. They worshiped in pri- 
vate houses, because they were unable to erect churches. 
This applies particularly to the congregations at Falk- 
ner Swamp, Skippack, White Marsh, Philadelphia, 
Lancaster, etc. The people could not even pay any 
considerable amount for the support of pastors. The 
three former congregations were organized between 
1720 and 1725, but in 1730 only Skippack had a 
church, and this one was locked against the regular 
congregation. In this year the consistories appealed to 
the Classis of Amsterdam for aid. They say that there 
should be a church for each congregation. When 
churches were erected later, oppressive debts were in- 
curred in connection with some of them. 

With few exceptions all of the first churches in 
Pennsylvania were log buildings. It was most natu- 
ral that they should be erected of such material, be- 
cause logs were plenty. They were about the only 
thing of which the early settlers had plenty. Natu- 
rally these first churches were small. Large buildings 
were not needed. The membership was small. In 
1728 the representatives of Rev. Mr. Boehm's first 
charge in their appeal to the Classis of Amsterdam 



44 



EA.RLY HESTORY 



state that the membership of Falkner Swamp was only 
24 males, Skippack 20 and White Marsh 14, and these 
were scattered over a territory of over sixty miles. 
The churches were not only small, but also uncomfort- 
able, but the people were satisfied, only so they had a 
place of worship. 

The church in Philadelphia was opened for wor- 
ship in December, 1746, but it had as yet no windows 
and was not yet plastered. In this open, unheated 
building the people sat and listened to long sermons. 
The church was octagonal in form, that is, it had six 
corners. The preachers in this church were Revs. 
Michael Schlatter, John C. Steiner, W. H. Stoy, Fred. 
Rothenbiihler, Casper Wey berg and others. The church 
was surmounted by a weather-vane in the form of a 
rooster. 

In the Hill church, near Lebanon, the people for a 
number of years sat upon rude logs in an unfinished 
church to worship God. Afterwards, daring the In- 
dian war, some of the members stood guard on the 
outside, whilst others were worshiping inside. 

The first church at Falkner Swamp, the oldest con- 
gregation in continued existence, was a frame building, 
erected in the early part of the year 1740, although the 
congregation had been started in 1720. And when the 
church had been erected, there was a debt of 60 pounds 
on hand. 

The Reformed congregation in Lancaster had an 
organization in 1727. Rev. J. P. Boehm administered 
the first communion there on Oct. 15, 1727, to 59 per- 
sons. The first log church was erected in 1736. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



45 



The first church in Reading was a small log build- 
ing. In the beginning there was neither floor nor 
stove in the church. There was a small bell above the 
roof, which was rung by means of a rope from the 
outside. The little church was erected in 1755, and 
used until 1761, when a much larger stone church was 
erected. In this little log church Rev. Philip J. 
Michael, W. H. Stoy, John Waldschmid and other 
early ministers preached. 

The early churches were not erected after any par- 
ticular style of architecture, any more than the homes 




First Church in Reading. 

of the settlers. The latter were the plainest kind of log 
huts, and the churches were not very much differ- 
ent. It would be quite interesting to see some inside 
views of these early churches, but none are in exist- 
ence. The inside finish was of course of the most prim- 
itive kind. Instead of pews there were benches. The 
pulpit was of course of the plainest kind also. The 
later churches had so-called wine-glass pulpits — that 
is, the pulpits stood upon pedestals and had the general 
form of a goblet, with sounding boards above them. 

" Goblet-formed, half up the wall, 
The sounding-board above, with acorn crowned." 



46 



EARLY HISTORY 



There was room in them for only one man, and there 
were narrow stairways leading into them. The altars 
and chancel railings were also small and very plain. 
Some of these later churches were finely finished, that 
is, for those times. Thus the second church in Read- 
ing, erected in 1761, is said to have had much wood 
carving in its finishing. 

Nearly all the early Reformed churches were sur- 
mounted by weather-vanes having the form of roost- 
ers. Such was the case of the first churches in Phila- 
delphia, Reading, Oley, Hain's, etc. This form of 
weather-vane was borrowed from Holland. It was 
generally used by Reformed churches in that country, 
and was introduced here because of the supervision of 
the Reformed Church in Holland over the churches in 
Pennsylvania. The rooster weather-vane of the second 
Oley church, erected in 1754, is still in possession of 
the congregation. It contained the names of the build- 
ing committee — John Lesher (who had donated the 
land in 1734), Casper Griesemer and Gabriel Boyer. — 
Because of the rooster weather-vane on top of Hain's 
church, erected in 1730, the church was often called 
" the rooster church." — The weather-vane on the church 
in Reading was the cause of a ludicrous incident. On 
one occasion two ladies were passing along Washing- 
ton street. One of them was superstitious. When 
opposite the Reformed church she was somewhat agi- 
tated and said to her companion : " They say that 
when that rooster on the church once crows, the world 
will come to an end." But the rooster never crowed, 
and the world still stands. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



47 



Some of the first churches had bells, others not. In 
1746 the congregation at Lancaster purchased a bell 
and a clock for 60 pounds, aud erected a steeple. It 
took some time to erect the steeple, and meanwhile the 
bell was hung upon a hickory tree near Centre square, 
and rung there for service until the steeple was com- 
pleted. It i-s claimed that the tree was the one under 
which the Indians held a council. There is a tradition 
that during the Indian troubles between 1755 and 
1762 when on one occasion the hostile Indians ap- 
proached " Hickorytown," as Lancaster was originally 
called, a woman rushed into the Reformed church and 
}ang the bell, which gave the alarm to the people. 

In the steeple of the Reformed church at Boyer- 
town hangs the old bell which was cast in England in 
1763, and used on the first court house in Reading 
until 1841. It is not now in use, but kept as a sacred 
relic of the past. 

During the American Revolution. a number of Re- 
formed churches were taken possession of by the au- 
thorities and used as hospitals, such as those in Phila- 
delphia, Reading, Easton, Boehm's in Montgomery 
county, Vincent in Chester county and other places. 
The church in Reading thus used was the stone church 
building erected in 1761, being the second house of 
worship of the congregation. The Reformed church in 
Easton was erected in 1776, the second year of the 
great struggle. This church is still standing, and is 
the oldest public building in Easton. It is the only 
Reformed church used as a hospital still standing. 

There were no regular hospitals at the time, and 
there was much suffering among the wounded and sick 



48 



EARLY HISTORY 



soldiers. A considerable number of soldiers died in 
the Reformed churches, and were buried in the grave- 
yards attached, the burial services being conducted by 
the Reformed pastors. Churches of other denomina- 
tions were used in the same way. There were three 
churches in Reading — Reformed, Lutheran and Qua- 
ker — and all were used as hospitals. Naturally the 
churches were considerably injured, but there was no 
complaint made, because the people were willing to 
make sacrifices for the cause of their country. The 
people of the towns also aided in nursing the sick and 
wounded. 

Whilst the churches named, with some others, were 
used as hospitals, the Reformed church at German- 
town was used as a prison by the British during the 
battle there on October 4, 1777. A number of Vir- 
ginians who had been captured in battle were confined 
in the church. 

One of the remarkable facts in connection with the 
location of the early churches is that with rare excep- 
tions none of them became centers of population. The 
present churches stand isolated iu the country as did 
the first houses of worship. Only in a few instances 
did villages spring up around them. This appears 
strange. We cite the following instances of isolated 
churches — Falkner Swamp, Wentz's, Boehm's, New 
and Old Goshenhoppen and Indian Creek in Mont- 
gomery county ; Host, Hain's, North Heidelberg, Blue 
Mountain, Bethel, Belleman's, Bern, Alsace, St. Pe- 
ter's, Maxatawny, Longswamp, Hill, Oley, Allegheny 
and Robeson in Berks county ; Tulpehocken, Swatara, 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



49 



Hill and Miihlbach in Lebanon county ; Bethany, Hel- 
ler's, Muddy Creek, Swamp and Kissel Hill in Lancas- 
ter county j Lehigh, Salisbury, Heidelberg, Ziegel, Old 
Lynntown, Egypt, etc., in Lehigh county ; Dryland, 
Petersville, Plainfield, etc., in Northampton county. 



50 



EARLY HISTORY 



9. 

EARLY CHURCH DEBTS. 

Church debts are not a modern thing. There were 
heavy debts resting upon the little log and frame 
churches erected in eastern Pennsylvania before 1750. 
But the difference between those early debts and many 
of those of our day is that then the people were all 
quite poor and really could not pay as they went, 
whilst many church debts of the present time are the 
result of spiritual pride and vanity. The people 150 
years ago and before that time had no markets and 
practically no income. Now things are different. Now 
congregations vie with each other in erecting elaborate 
churches, and then mortgage the benevolence of a 
whole generation to pay them. One of the leading 
motives in this extravagance is the fact that others do 
the same. 

These remarks do not apply to small and poor con- 
gregations which naturally must build for the future. 
There are still some instances that are largely similar 
to those of early times, and moderate church debts are 
justifiable. 

Let us refer to some instances of early church 
debts. We may learn something from them. We 
should learn to appreciate the struggles of our fathers 
to establish the Reformed Church in this then new 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 51 

country. Most o f the early settlers in the Rhine coun- 
try formerly had comfortable houses of worship, but 
these were in many instances destroyed by the religious 
wars which cursed the beautiful Rhine country. Many 
of their homes had also been destroyed. With sad 
hearts they left the homes of their birth and settled in 
this new western world. Here they had to make a 
new beginning in everything. First of all they had to 
erect little log cabins to shelter their families. For a 
considerable time they could not have any churches. 
Before 1700 there was not a single house of worship in 
Berks county. For a long time the people met in 
private houses and barns for worship. 

Gradually the people erected churches, but in many 
instances debts were left to rest upon them. Revs. 
Boehm and Schlatter tell us about some of these early 
church debts. 

Tn 1744 Mr. Boehm reports that the people at Falk- 
ner Swamp had erected a frame church, but owed nearly 
60 pounds upon it, or about $160 in Pennsylvania 
money. That was a considerable debt for the people 
at that time. 

The first Reformed church in Philadelphia was com- 
menced in 1745. Rev. John P. Boehm laid the corner- 
stone. In 1748 he says that the church was erected 
upon a beautiful, but also very expensive lot, for which 
the money had been borrowed. The work proceeded 
very slowly for the lack of money. Presently Rev. 
Mr. Schlatter was made pastor, and then the work was 
pushed rapidly and a large debt incurred. When the 
church was completed the whole debt amounted to over 



52 



EARLY HISTORY 



600 pounds, besides their own contributions. When 
the debt had become burdensome the people blamed 
Mr. Schlatter for it. They claimed that he had directed 
the work and promised to write to Switzerland and 
elsewhere for money, but no money came, and the peo- 
ple were in a tight place. Church debts in those days 
were a more serious matter than such are now, because 
people could be imprisoned for debt. (See next para- 
graph.) In 1750, at the time of th j split of the con- 
gregation into the Schlatter and Steiner factions, the 
debt was 800 pounds. The contest was decided in 
favor of the Schlatter party, which had to pay the 
debt. It had become a heavy burden. 

One of the early pastors of the Philadelphia congre- 
gation was Rev. Fred. Rothenbuhler, who was called 
in July of 1762. But he was intemperate, and soon 
there was trouble. The consistory, after securing evi- 
dence, resolved to dismiss him. He had some friends 
who withdrew with him, and organized a new congre- 
gation. They erected a church on Fourth street, the 
cost of which far exceeded their expectations. In con- 
sequence of a large debt a number of the members 
were thrown into prison. When their friends, looking 
through the windows, inquired why they had been put 
to jail, they simply replied : " For building a church." 
To go to jail for building a church became a proverb 
in the city. It would probably be well if there were 
some law now to restrain people from building expen- 
sive churches and going deeply into debt. 

The first church of the Boehm congregation in 
Montgomery county is supposed to have been erected 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



53 



in 1740. Rev. Mr. Boehm had during a number of 
years preached in his own house nearby. The place 
was then called Whitpen. Mr. Boehm reports that 
the church was 27 feet wide and 30 feet long. It 
could not be completed for years for the lack of money. 
Mr. B. had collected 40- pounds for this purpose, but 
the church uncompleted had cost 70 pounds, and more 
than 50 pounds more was needed to finish it. Mr. 
Boehm says : " We will use the church as it is, as we 
have done all summer, and sit on the floor and wooden 
benches rather than make debts ; for if we should make 
debts I would have to suffer for it." Many a pastor 
of the present day knows what the latter sentence 
means When church debts begin to press the mem- 
bers, the pastor is the first one to feel it. The interest 
must be paid, and then the pastor's salary is not paid 
regularly. 

The first church at Host, Berks county, was a frame 
building, with a debt of 60 pounds upon it. Christ 
Tulpehocken church had a debt of 30 pounds upon it. 

The first Reformed church iu Reading was erected 
in 1755. It was a small log building. It is said that 
there was neither stove nor floor in it. It was used 
only six years. In 1761 a stone church of consider- 
able size was erected at a cost of about $1300. This 
caused a considerable debt. The church was not fin- 
ished inside. The walls were left bare. The debt was 
paid in 1775, when the church was completed and an- 
other debt incurred, which was not fully paid until 1814. 

Other instances could be cited, but it would only be 
a repetition of the same story. The people then did 



54 



EARLY HISTORY 



what they could, but they simply did not possess the 
means to erect churches and pay for them. But they 
had a zeal for the house of God. There was no extrav- 
agance in building churches. People were glad if they 
could erect plain houses of worship. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



55 



10. 

FIRST CONSTITUTION OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 

In recent years the Reformed Church has spent 
much time and money in the effort to adopt a new con- 
stitution in place of the one hitherto in force, which 
was adopted in the year 1846, over fifty years ago. It 
will be interesting to read about the first constitution 
of the Reformed Church in this country. 

In 1725 Rev. John P. Boehm, one of the first Re- 
formed ministers in Pennsylvania, commenced his min- 
istry. In this year he formulated a constitution. This 
instrument was approved by all the elders and the 
three congregations then constituting his pastoral 
charge — Falkner Swamp, Skippack and White Marsh. 
It was revised by the three Dutch Reformed ministers 
of New York who had ordained Mr. Boehm — Revs. 
George DuBois, Vincent Antonides and Henry Boel. 
It was then sent to the Fathers in Holland and ap- 
proved by them. This constitution was then adopted 
by a number of other congregations in Pennsylvania — 
Conestoga and Tulpehocken in 1727, Philadelphia in 
1734, and Oley in 1736. (Goshenhoppen and Ger- 
mantown refused because they were under the influ- 
ence of the opponents of Boehm.) 

After the Coetus had been organized, Boehm's con- 
stitution was read and carefully considered at the sec- 



56 



EARLY HISTORY 



ond meeting of that body in 1748. It was adopted by 
the Coetus as the constitution of the Reformed Church 
in the United States. 

Originally the constitution was framed for the use 
of the Falkner Swamp, Skippack and White Marsh 
congregatious, the only ones in existence in 1725, and 
these constituted the pastoral charge of Rev. Mr. 
Boehm. We herewith publish a synopsis of the con- 
stitution : 

The elders and deacons then in office were recog- 
nized and served out their terms, when new ones were 
to be elected. The names of persons elected to the 
consistory shall be announced in church three succes- 
sive Sundays, to afford an opportunity to present law- 
ful objections. If no objections are presented they 
shall be installed. 

The sacrament of baptism shall be administered 
without fee after divine service. Besides the parents 
witnesses shall be present. These shall be persons 
who have professed the pure doctrine of the gospel, 
and whose lives are blameless. 

The Holy Supper shall be administered twice a 
year in every congregation. No one shall be admitted 
thereto unless upon confession before the consistory, 
and evidence of a godly life, in accordance with the 
Church Order of the Synod of Dort of 1618 and 1619. 
All the members shall always appear at the prepara- 
tory sermon, and after the service come forward. In 
case they become careless in this matter, they shall be 
spoken to by the consistory. All the members may 
commune in each of the three congregations. 



OF THE EEFOKMED CHUECH. 



57 



The bread and the wine for the Holy Communion 
shall always be bought and provided by the deacons 
out of the alms that have been collected, and afterward 
they shall give a faithful account of the same. 

To meet this and other necessities of the church the 
alms shall always be gathered by the deacons while the 
congregation leaves the church, or otherwise, as the 
cousistory may direct. 

The members of the consistory, whether they be 
elders or deacons, to whom is entrusted the church 
treasury or other property, shall aunually render before 
the consistory an exact account of their stewardship. 
For this purpose they shall keep a faithful record of 
all receipts and expenditures, and when found correct 
the accounts shall be signed by the minister and an 
elder in behalf of all as approved. 

Should a member, male or female, fall into any sin, 
he shall be placed under the supervision of the consis- 
tory until he promise and give evidence of amendment 
of life. 

It shall be the office and duty of the minister to 
preach the pure doctrine of the Reformed Church ac- 
cording to the Word of God, and to administer the holy 
seals of the Covenant at their appointed time and 
place ; always to adhere to the confession of faith of 
the Reformed Church and to the Heidelberg Catechism ; 
to explain the same regularly and consecutively ; to 
hold catechetical instruction, etc. He shall give spe- 
cial attention to church discipline and correct practice, 
together with those who have the oversight of the con- 
gregation. 
5 



58 



EARLY HISTORY 



He shall also pray in the public congregation jfor 
our beloved King, the King of Great Britain, and for 
the Government of this country. 

Provision is made for the discipline of unfaithful 
members. The constitution cannot be changed unless 
proposed changes are submitted to the Classis of Am- 
sterdam, and by it approved. 

The constitution was read each year at the time of 
the installation of new officers, and before the act of 
installation the new officers were required to sign the 
constitution. 

As a whole this first constitution was an excellent 
instrument. It was carefully drawn and well worded. 
It is one of many evidences that the author, Rev. Mr. 
Boehm, who at the time of formulating it in 1725 was 
not yet a minister, but a school teacher, was a man of 
decided ability and a high degree of common sense. 

At the above meeting of the Coetns in 1748 it was 
resolved to publish and sell the constitution (Church 
Order, as it was called). Rev. Mr. Boehm was asked 
to superintend this work. It was one of the last acts 
of his life, for he died before the meeting of the next 
Coetus, viz., on April 29, 1749. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



59 



U. 

SCARCITY OF MINISTERS. 

In the early history of the Reformed Church in 
Pennsylvania there was a great scarcity of ministers, 
which was sad and painful. Many people had a real 
hunger for the Word of God and for the sacraments/ 
but there was in many places no one to minister to 
them. We rarely now find such manifestations of a 
desire for the W ord as was shown then. 

In his report of 1746 Rev. Mr. Schlatter states that 
most of the people hunger and thirst after faithful min- 
isters of God's Word. Mr. Schlatter says: "I have 
daily at my house people who come from far away and 
beg me to come and help them to organize. I have 
already received twelve letters from small and large 
congregations, of whom some are nearly 200 miles dis- 
tant from Philadelphia. Yea, there have already been 
to see me people from Virginia, nearly 300 and more 
miles from here." These people asked Mr. Schlatter 
to come to them. They stated that there were many 
fine Reformed people in Virginia, who would gladly 
pay a minister, but they could get none. 

Because of the lack of ministers the people were in 
danger of being led astray by worthless and unfaithful 
persons who palmed themselves off as ministers. The 
Moravians made great efforts to draw the Reformed to 



60 



EARLY HISTORY 



themselves, and they succeeded to some extent. Mr. 
Schlatter in 1746 states that of those who had gone to 
the Moravians nearly one hundred had returned, and 
none were leaving the Reformed Church any more. 

In December, 1746, Mr. Schlatter wrote: "A few 
days ago a man named John Miller came to me and 
begged me with tears that I should come and baptize 
his wife and nine children. Four weeks ago I baptized 
four and three weeks ago six." Mr. S. says the people 
were " as sheep without shepherds." He thinks they 
could be gathered together into flocks by faithful pas- 
tors and diligent school teachers, but the pastors were 
not to be had. 

The labors of the few ministers then here were 
very hard. There was much more snow then than 
now, and traveling in winter was very difficult, both 
on account of the snow and the swollen streams, over 
which there were no bridges. Ministers had to travel 
on horseback, and ford the streams at all times. There 
were but few roads, mostly only Indian trails. Schlat- 
ter says the ministers should live among their people, 
because otherwise the latter could get but little service 
from them in winter. Besides, the ministers would 
almost " fret themselves to death" because they could 
not reach the people in winter. 

It is somewhat remarkable that in our days this 
same argument must be used — to have ministers reside 
among their people. But it cannot be said that " min- 
isters almost fret themselves to death because they can- 
not reach the people," either in winter or summer. 

We here present the case of the Reformed people of 
York, Pa., as an example of the scarcity of ministers 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



61 



150 years ago. They had been served by Rev. Jacob 
Lishy, but they had lost all confidence in him on ac- 
count of his bad character and his affiliation with the 
Moravians. He still had some adherents, but the 
great majority would have nothing to do with him. In 
a letter to the Holland Synod, dated April 25, 1754, 
the people state their lamentable condition. They had 
repeatedly implored the Coetus for a minister, but 
failed to secure one. Whilst Rev. Mr. Schlatter was 
in Europe in 1751 they were admonished to be patient, 
since it was expected that he would bring some minis- 
ters with him. When he returned in 1752, the York 
people were rejoiced to hear that six young ministers 
had come with him. But they were told to wait until 
the meeting of the Coetus in Lancaster. A number of 
them went to Lancaster to receive a minister, but the 
ministers of the Coetus quarreled over the question of 
allowing the elders to vote, and some of the ministers 
and elders withdrew from the meeting. The York 
people were told that all of the young men recently 
arrived had been assigned to places, and there was no 
one for them. They complained that they had " been 
fooled again." This was resented by Schlatter. They 
then begged that some of the ministers should supply 
them alternately until they could secure a regular min- 
ister. They were told this could not be done, and it 
was suggested that they should be satisfied with Lishy. 
They finally begged that a minister should come to 
them and give them the communion, but even this 
request was not granted. The people went home dis- 
appointed and sad. 



62 



EARLY HISTORY 



The York people next attended a Coetus meeting 
at Goshenhoppen, and again presented their petition. 
The Coetus was again divided, and nothing was done. 
The next Coetus was held at Cocalico (Bethany), Pa., 
and the York people were again on hand to press their 
petition for a minister. It was resolved that they 
should have a new minister. Rev. Mr. Frankenfeld 
was elected and a call sent to him, and he accepted the 
same. The people were now glad, but only to be dis- 
appointed anew. M<\ Frankenfeld did not come, and 
they never learned the real cause of it. They supposed 
it was because his congregation would not let him go. 
It was to take Lishy in exchange, which it refused 
to do. 

The people at York were now more disappointed 
and discouraged than ever. In their letter to the Hol- 
land brethren they say : " Thus we have to remain in 
our sad condition, unless you and the Almighty God 
come to our assistance. Most of us have not received 
the Holy Supper for six or seven years. You can 
easily judge how many young people have grown up in 
our midst who ought to be received into the covenant 
of grace, which, however, cannot be done without a 
minister. May God have mercy upon us." These 
York people were very eager to secure a minister, and 
they were by no means partial as to who it should be, 
only so it would be a man of good character. If peo- 
ple in our day would be as easy to please as they were, 
there would be no difficulty in settling pastors over all 
vacant charges. 

The condition of the York people was similar to 
that of many others. The above gives us an insight 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



63 



into the painful conditions prevailing in Pennsylvania 
a hundred and fifty years ago. The people were truly 
as sheep without a shepherd. They were anxious to 
have a shepherd, but could find none. 

These Reformed people at York close their letter to 
the Holland brethren in the following beautiful manner : 

" Now the God of peace, that brought again from 
the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of 
the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting cove- 
nant, make you perfect in every good work to do his 
will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his 
sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever 
and ever. Amen/ 7 (Heb. 13 : 20.) 

In 1768 the Coetus received a piteous appeal from 
New Liineburg, Nova Scotia, where eighty families 
had been seventeen years without the preaching of the 
gospel and the sacraments. 



64 



EARLY HISTORY 



12. 

CONFESSION OF EARLY REFORMED MINISTERS. 

When the Reformed Fathers in Holland sent Rev. 
Michael Schlatter to Pennsylvania to organize the scat- 
tered Reformed people into charges and settle pastors 
over them, and to organize them into a Coetus or 
Synod, they instructed him "that the members of the 
Coetus should sign the Heidelberg Catechism and the 
Canons of the National Synod of Dort of 1618 and 
1619, declaring that they with heart and soul are de- 
voted to the same and will bold to them unalterably." 

The Coetus was organized in Philadelphia on Sept. 
29, 1747, with 31 ministers and elders. The members 
met in the parsonage and then proceeded to the church 
in a body. It was a memorable occasion. It was the 
beginning of the organized existence of the Reformed 
Church in this country. Rev. John B. Rieger preached 
a sermon on the 133d Psalm. Rev. Michael Schlatter 
presided. * 

At the second meeting of the Coetus the following 
declaration of faith was adopted : " We, the under- 
signed ministers in actual service in the Reformed con- 
gregations in Pennsylvania, having appeared at the 
appointed Coetus in Philadelphia on Sept. 28, 1748, 
together with the accompanying elders from our con- 
gregations, do hereby affirm that we are devoted heart 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



65 



and soul to the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons 
of the National Synod of Dort of 1618 and 1619, and 
that we shall unalterably hold to them." 

This declaration was then signed by Revs. John 
Philip Boehm, Michael Schlatter, John Philip Leydich, 
Dominicus Bartholomew and John Jacob Hochreutner ; 
and by seven elders. Rev. John B. Rieger declined to 
sign the paper, because he " felt some scruples about 
the articles of the Synod of Dort treating on predesti- 
nation in the sense of John Calvin." 

The Holland Fathers wished to know whether the 
people whom they were expected to assist with minis- 
ters and money were sound in the faith. The above 
declaration was satisfactory to them. 



66 



EARLY HISTORY 



13. 

SPIRIT OF THE EARLY MINISTERS. 

From the numerous letters and reports of the early 
Reformed pastors in Pennsylvania we get a glimpse of 
their spirit. This refers primarily to the ministers 
who were included in the Coetus when this body had 
been organized. They had come to this country with 
the true missionary spirit, and they manifested a great 
deal of self-denial. They endured many privations. 
They were compelled to travel a vast deal and submit 
to great exposure. There were no bridges across 
streams and few real roads, little else than Indian 
trails through vast forests. Their income was very 
small. A number of the best men who labored here, 
like Revs. Boehm and Tempelman, supported them- 
selves and families by the labor of their hands — Mr. 
Boehm by tilling a farm in Montgomery county, and 
Mr. Tempelman as a tailor in Lebanon county. Then 
Mr. Boehm' s labors were made more difficult by cer- 
tain unworthy men who acted from selfish motives. 

Notwithstanding their hard labors and unfavorable 
circumstances these early ministers in Pennsylvania 
were possessed of a beautiful Christian spirit. Their 
letters and reports are pervaded by a spirit of entire 
devotion to the cause. They speak constantly about 
the glory of God, the salvation of souls and the pure 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



67 



Reformed doctrine. This was their standard, and they 
were willing to suffer for its sake. The Reformed 
Church owes her existence in this country largely to 
the fidelity of these men, few in number, who were 
faithful under trying and unfavorable circumstances. 
They deserve to be held in the highest esteem and 
grateful remembrance by the people of our day, who 
enjoy the fruits of their sowing and are buildiug upon 
the foundations laid by them with great self-sacrifice. 

At the meetiug of the Coetus at Lancaster in 1752 
the ministers adopted a paper in which they solemnly 
pledged themselves to maintain the doctrines founded 
on the Synod of Dort in 1618 and 1619 ; to be subor- 
dinate to the Christian Synods of Holland, and to pro- 
mote the welfare of the Reformed congregations in this 
country, as well as each other's bodily and spiritual 
welfare, honor and esteem as an example for the peo- 
ple to imitate. This paper was signed by Revs. Weiss, 
Rieger, Schlatter, Leydich, Lishy, Waldschmid, Stoy, 
Otterbein, Wissler, Frankenfeld, DuBois and Tempel- 
man. 

When Rev. Michael Schlatter came here in 1746, 
he found only four regularly ordained Reformed min- 
isters in Pennsylvania — John P. Boehm, George M. 
Weiss, John B. Rieger and P. H. Dorsius. It is re- 
markable that although these men had been laboring; 
here for a long time, they had never been together until 
October 12, 1746, when in response to a request of Mr. 
Schlatter the three first named came to his home in 
Philadelphia. Mr. Dorsius could not attend on account 
of the sickness of his wife. Mr. Schlatter reports that 



68 



EARLY HISTORY 



the union and brotherly love which was effected by 
him between the ministers " made a great stir and 
fame throughout the whole land/' 

On Sunday, September 25, 1746, Revs. Schlatter, 
Boehm and Weiss met in the Reformed church at Tul- 
pehocken and administered the communion to the two 
Tulpehocken congregations, Host and Trinity, the two 
flocks meeting together on this occasion. Schlatter 
preached to six hundred people. The people wept 
tears of joy at the sight of three ministers in the pul- 
pit. Such a sight they had never beheld in this coun- 
try, many of them never in their lives. Harmony be- 
tween ministers always has a good effect upon the peo- 
ple. Disaffection between ministers works great harm 
to the gospel of love. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



69 



14. 

"CONGREGATION OF GOD IN THE SPIRIT." 

This was the name adopted by a union movement 
organized by Count Zinzendorf, of the Moravian 
Church, soon after his arrival in Pennsylvania in 1741. 
The idea was to unite the various Protestant denomi- 
nations into one body, but with everything pointing 
toward the Moravian Church. The idea was a pleas- 
ing one. There were many sects in Pennsylvania, and 
all were weak. Why should they not all combine and 
work together? The proposition appealed strongly to 
many. Zinzendorf s plan was to form certain circles 
or " tropes" in each denomination, but all to be under 
the control of the Moravian Church. Zinzendorf was 
well calculated to suggest and head such a movement. 
He claimed to be a Lutheran, since he, like other Mo- 
ravians, had accepted the Augsburg Confession ; and 
on the other hand he had been ordained by the Re- 
formed Church of Brandenburg. Dr. Good says he 
was a Lutheran, a Reformed and a Moravian. 

The union was formed and called " The Congrega- 
tion of God in the Spirit." Zinzendorf was greatly 
aided in the beginning by Henry Antes, a prominent 
Reformed man at Falkner Swamp, and Rev. John 
Bechtel, of Germantown. The union included Re- 
formed, Lutherans, Mennonites, Dunkards, Schwenk- 



70 



EARLY HISTORY 



felders, Moravians, Mystics and Separatists. Five Re- 
formed ministers entered the union — Revs. John Bech- 
tel, Henry Antes, Christian Henry Rauch, John Brand- 
miiller and Jacob Lishy. They were to form a subor- 
dinate union by themselves as representing the Re- 
formed Church. All of them were ordained by Zin- 
zendorf and his associates as ministers for the Re- 
formed Church. Twenty-seven conferences (called 
Pennsylvania Synods) were held from 1742 to 1748. 
The first one occurred on Jan. 1, 1742, in German- 
town. There were eight denominations represented 
and thirty-six members present ; the second at Falk- 
ner Swamp on January 14-15 ; the third on February 
10-12, 1742, on the farm of John DeTurk, in Oley, 
when Mr. Rauch was ordained and three American 
Indians were baptized. Gradually one after another 
of the denominations dropped out, and at the last 
synod in 1748 the Moravians were almost alone. At 
that meeting of the synod, on October 23-27, 1748, at 
Bethlehem, the Moravian Church was fully organized. 
Their number had been largely increased by the ar- 
rival of 120 Moravians in the ship "Snow Catharine" 
in May, 1742. 

Thus ended the " Congregation of God in the 
Spirit." Revs. Bechtel, Rauch, Brandmiiller and 
Antes entered fully into the Moravian Church ; but 
Lishy returned to the Reformed Church. Mr. Antes 
left the Moravians in 1750 and returned to his home 
at Falkner Swamp, where he died on July 20, 1755. 
Rev. Mr. Bechtel had carried the Reformed congrega- 
tion in Germantown into the union, but the people 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



71 



became dissatisfied and returned to the allegiance of 
the Reformed Church, and Mr. Bechtel was compelled 
to resign in 1744. 

The union was opposed from its start by two of the 
most prominent Reformed ministers. Rev. Samuel 
Guldin, the first Reformed ordained minister in this 
state, coining here in 1710, attended the first confer- 
ence of the union on Jan. 1, 1742, but he was dis- 
heartened by the lack of union. He soon after heartily 
opposed the movement, and on February 4, 1742, pub- 
lished a tract against it. During the same year he 
added four others. All of these five tracts were pub- 
lished by Christopher Saur in 1743 under the title : 
" Unpartisan Witness on the New Union of all De- 
nominations in Pennsylvania, and Also Some Other 
Points." It was a vigorous protest against the union 
movement. Mr. Guldin was now an aged man, but he 
did what he could to prevent the Reformed people 
from being misled. 

But the principal champion of the Reformed Church 
over against the union movement was Rev. John Philip 
Boehm. He opposed it from the start, and issued two 
protests against it. (See following chapter.) 



72 



EARLY HISTORY 



15. 

REV. BOEHM'S WARNINGS. 

Rev. John Philip Boehm published two circular 
letters, in which he cautioned the Reformed people 
against the union movement of the " Congregation of 
God in the Spirit," under the leadership of the Mo- 
ravians. The first one was dated August 23, ] 742, 
and the second one May 19, 1743. He speaks of the 
Moravian doctrine as " pernicious to the soul and de- 
structive to the conscience." Mr. Boehm was a poor 
man, receiving only a meagre support from the poor 
and scattered people, and the publication of these two 
letters was a real hardship for him. He paid for the 
printing of the letters, and then put them on sale at a 
number of places, which he mentions in the second cir- 
cular. (He expended $14.52 for printing the two cir- 
culars, of which sum he received less than one-half 
back. He gave away many copies.) 

Mr. Boehm made an earnest and pathetic appeal to 
the Reformed people to hold fast to the Reformed faith 
and not be led astray by those minist rs who repre- 
sented themselves as Reformed, but were at heart Mo- 
ravians and had been ordained by the Moravians. He 
mentions especially Jacob Lishy, John Bechtel and 
Henry Antes, whom he charges with obscuring the 
Reformed doctrine and with efforts " to bring all under 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



73 



the sect of the Moravians." Mr. Antes is said to have 
declared " that he was now without sin. for the Savior 
had entered into him." Rev. Mr. Lishy was charged 
with having " sworn by the throne of God that he had 
nothing to do with the doctrine of the Moravians," 
although he had been ordained by them. 

Rev. John Bechtel also seems to have held some 
strange views. He refused to teach the 80th and 
114th questions of the Heidelberg Catechism. In the 
answer to the latter question it is stated that men can- 
not keep the commandments of the Lord perfectly. 
Bechtel said this was not true, because those who are 
converted to God keep them perfectly, for they are no 
longer sinners. 

Rev. Henry Antes had a peculiar way of account- 
ing for his faith. When he was asked how he could 
call himself Reformed, since he went with the Mo- 
ravians and took part in their love feasts, he replied : 
" Why, how strange you are ! Is this a reason why I 
should not be Reformed ? I am Reformed, and also a 
Lutheran and a Mennonite. A Christian is every- 
thing." 

Rev. Mr. Boehm charged that when the Moravians 
first came to this country they represented themselves 
as Lutherans, and later some claimed to be Reformed. 
He charged them with coming in sheep's clothing to 
deceive the people and to spread the cause of the Mo- 
ravians. Mr. Boehm was quite severe in his language, 
and called these people enthusiasts and fanatics. 

Mr. Boehm stated that for some time the doctrines 
preached by these men were acceptable to the ignorant 
6 



74 



EARLY HISTORY 



people who allowed themselves to be led by the nose 
for some time, but after awhile they will turn away 
from these sly foxes, after they have learned to know 
their real purpose. 

The scarcity of ministers was favorable to the work 
of these men. Mr. Boehm admonishes| the) people to 
be patient until the Lord would send fsufficient help. 
He says : 

" Let us edify and admonish each other from the 
Word of God according to our ability in all order and 
piety, then God will finally come and provide for us 
with necessary and sufficient means. Let us not act 
like the Children of Israel in the wilderness who, 
when Moses stayed away a long time, did not want to 
wait, but desired gods and made themselves a golden 
calf. Beloved, read the thirty-second chapter of Exo- 
dus, the last three verses, how this people fared on ac- 
count of their sin." 

Mr. Boehm closes his second caution with the hope 
that the Reformed people will pray to God that He 
would lead them in the right way by His Holy Spirit, 
according to His Word. He also declares his expecta- 
tion that he would be persecuted on account of this his 
action. But he expresses the hope that if his oppo- 
nents have any reply to make, they should do it open- 
ly, and not hide again behind a simple soul, such as 
George Neiser, a schoolmaster at Bethlehem. This 
refers to the fact that Zinzendorf replied to Mr. Boehm' s 
first warning over the name of George Neiser. This 
was foolish, because the deception was apparent. 

This second warning of Rev. Mr. Boehm had an 
excellent effect, as it opened the eyes of the Reformed 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



75 



people to the dangers to which they were exposed. 
The Reformed people were passing through a critical 
experience. But for Mr. Boehm the Reformed people 
would likely have been carried into the Moravian 
Church. Later on, when the number of Reformed 
ministers in Pennsylvania increased, this danger passed 
away. Mr. Boehm cannot be given too much praise 
for his noble stand for the Reformed faith at a time 
when he as a minister stood almost alone. Five Re- 
formed ministers had gone into the union and preached 
to many Reformed people. 

Rev. Michael Schlatter bears testimony to Mr. 
Boehnr's excellent service in this connection. In his 
report to the Holland synods in 1746 Mr. Schlatter 
says : " It is mainly owing to Rev. Mr. Boehm that 
the Moravians have not caused more confusion among 
many congregations here." 



76 



EAELY HISTORY 



16. 

EARLY CHURCH CONVENTIONS. 

It is probable that the first public convention of 
the Reformed Church in Pennsylvania was that held 
in Heidelberg township, Berks county. The exact 
place of meeting is not known. Prof. Hinke believes 
it to have been at the house of either Tobias Bickel or 
Frederick Gerhard, who resided near the Moravian 
school house in what is now North Heidelberg town- 
ship, and near the place where in 1744 the Moravian 
church was erected. Lishy had been preaching in the 
house of Bickel, and Gerhard was a prominent Morav- 
ian, who as an elder attended the conference. Lishy, 
in reporting about the conference, speaks several times 
about the people being in " the room." He never 
speaks of a church. It has frequently been represented 
that the conference was held in Hain's church, then 
known as the Cacusi church, but this is evidently an 
error. 

The conference occurred on August 29, 1743, and 
was called by Rev. Jacob Lishy, who preached at this 
and many other places. The meeting was called to 
consider a number of charges against Mr. Lishy which 
were in circulation. He had been ordained by the 
Moravians, but pretended to be a Reformed minister. 
The meeting was attended by fifty elders and deacons, 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



77 



besides many members from twelve congregations for 
whom Mr. Lishy was preaching. 

The principal charge against Lishy was that he was 
a " Zinzendorfer," that is, a Moravian. (Count Zin- 
zendorf was then the leader of the Moravians in this 
country. They had organized their first congregation 
at Bethlehem in 1742. In January, 1743, Lishy was 
ordained by the Moravian Bishop Nitschman.) Mr. 
Lishy succeeded in explaining matters so well that the 
people were satisfied and agreed to continue him as 
their pastor. In reference to the charge that he was 
not regularly ordained, he exhibited his ordination cer- 
tificate, and this also satisfied the people. The meet- 
ing adopted an action which vindicated Pastor Lishy, 
and people were warned against slandering him. How- 
ever this was not fully satisfactory. It was a sort of 
compromise. The people were anxious to have a pas- 
tor, and they were willing to keep Mr. Lishy, although 
his position was by no means satisfactory. Lishy 
afterward stated that the Moravians rejoiced over his 
" victory" at the above meeting. No doubt they did 
this because Lishy was their representative and worked 
for their interest, although he always told the Reformed 
people that he was Reformed. 

A similar meeting was held at Muddy Creek, Lan- 
caster county, on March 21, 1745. We are told that 
it was a large " church council." Lishy' s relation to 
the Reformed Church was again inquired into. He 
was called upon to say whether he was a Moravian or 
not. At first he sought to evade the investigation, but 
when closely pressed he acknowledged that he stood in 



78 



EARLY HISTORY 



union with the Moravians. At this meeting at Muddy 
Creek a hymn of sixteen verses, composed by Lishy, 
was publicly read. It is pervaded by the spirit of the 
union movement, and clearly shows where the author 
stood. (The hymn is published in the first volume of 
" Fathers of the Reformed Church," page 356.) Here, 
as at North Heidelberg, Lishy appears to have pacified 
the people, at least to some extent. 



OF THE EEFOEMED CHURCH. 



79 



17. 

EARLY SECTS. " 

One of the unfortunate facts connected with the 
early religious history of eastern Pennsylvania was the 
existence of many sects. This caused much feeling 
and confusion. 

Rev. Henry Goetschius, Reformed pastor in Phila- 
delphia in 1735, in a letter of July 21 of that year, 
says iD reference to the people of Pennsylvania : 
" Most of them belong to the Reformed Church. The 
remainder belong to all possible sects — Atheists, Ana- 
baptists, Quakers, Arians, Enthusiasts, Nestorians, 
Pietists, Mennonites, Waldenses, etc." 

The " New Born" were a sect in*01ey who called 
themselves sinless, equal to God and greater than the 
Savior. Rev. Boehm complains about them and speaks 
of them as blasphemers, which they really were. 

Rev. George Michael Weiss, one of the first Re- 
formed ministers in this state, refers to this condition 
in a report to the Classis of Amsterdam, dated April 
25, 17-42. He complains that the people are unstable 
in consequence of the sects in Pennsylvauia and New 
York. There were not only many Protestant sects, 
but he states that the Jesuits were also coming into the 
foreground in our state. On October 7, 1752, Rev. 
Weiss, in a report to the Fathers in Holland, says : 



80 



EARLY HISTORY 



" There is a multiplicity of religious sects in this coun- 
try, for there are Catholics, Lutherans, Reformed, 
Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Mennonites, Quakers, 
Baptists, Schwenkfelders, Moravians, besides many 
Separatists He states that the Quakers had great 
influence, having been the first inhabitants of Pennsyl- 
vania, but they lived in great quietness. 

Mr. Weiss also refers to a "certain count from 
Germany, who does not a little to draw to his side with 
preaching and admonishing all the land over." This 
reference is to Count Zinzendorf, who came to Penn- 
sylvania in 1741. His real name was Ludwig Herman 
von Thurnstein. Zinzendorf was a Moravian, a man 
who wielded an extended influence. He was received 
with open arms by many people, including some prom- 
inent Reformed persons. He advocated a pet scheme — 
the union of all denominations. This was a pleasing 
proposition, and met with a hearty response on the 
part of many people in several Churches. There were 
many conditions which favored the proposition. One 
was the unorganized condition of the people. Many 
were without ministers, and the people readily assented 
to any movement which promised to give them shep- 
herds. Zinzendorf was ready to meet this disposition. 
He and his associates were ready to ordain persons to 
the ministry. Thus they ordained Henry Antes, John 
Bechtel, Jacob Lishy and several others as ministers 
for the Reformed people. The three named persons 
became ardent admirers and followers of Zinzendorf. 
The plan appears to have been one of federal union. 
Ministers were ordained for the several denominations. 



OF THE REFORMED CHUKCH. 



81 



But there is no doubt that even if the object was not to 
draw all into the Moravian Church, the tendency was 
in that direction. Revs. Bechtel, Rauch, Brandmiiller 
and several others fully united with the Moravians. 
Rev. Mr. Lishy, after trying for a long time to serve 
two masters — the Moravians and the Reformed — fin- 
ally cast his lot entirely with the Reformed people. 
He had been accused with carrying water on both 
shoulders. He preached in Reformed churches, and 
some of the Reformed accused him of siding with the 
Moravians, whilst the Moravians accused him of not 
being true to them. The latter charged him with being 
wicked, and begged him to repent. Mr. Lishy spent 
some time at Bethlehem, where he wavered, but finally 
decided in favor of the Reformed Church. 

At that time Rev. John Philip Boehm was the 
leading Reformed minister in this country. He was a 
truly good and zealous man, and did more than any 
one else to supply their spiritual wants. Mr. Boehm 
saw what effect the union movement would have upon 
the Reformed people, and took a firm stand against it. 
For this he deserves much credit. There is no doubt 
that but for this firm stand of Mr. Boehm the Re- 
formed people would have been drawn into the Morav- 
ian Church. His position led him into a fierce contro- 
versy with Count Zinzendorf, and both displayed much 
feeling in the matter. The opposition of Mr. Boehm 
had a good effect upon the Reformed people, and they 
gradually refused to have anything further to do with 
the union movement. 

Zinzendorf s efforts for union caused a good deal of 
friction at various places. He carried his efforts tco 



82 



EAELY HISTORY 



far. He was imprudent in seeking to force his plan 
upon people against their will. This was especially 
the case with the Swedish Lutheran congregation at 
Douglass ville, then called Molatten. Zinzendorf sent 
a young minister there to induce the people to fall in 
with his plans. He secured some adherents and ap- 
pointed a time for preaching in the church — without 
consulting the pastor, Rev. Gabriel Falk, or securing 
his consent. This was in 1742. At the time ap- 
pointed Rev. Mr. Falk went to the church early and 
occupied the pulpit. When the Moravian preacher en- 
tered the church, Mr. Falk met him in the aisle and 
said : " You enter the sheepfold as a thief and mur- 
derer/' at the same time landing him a severe blow 
with the hand on his mouth. Before a conflict could 
ensue, the people separated them. But it ended the 
effort to capture the Lutherans of Molatten for the 
Moravians. 

The Moravians also came in for a large share of 
the blame for the confusion which prevailed in the 
Tulpehocken Reformed and Lutheran churches be- 
tween 1736 and 1742. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



83 



18. 

CARE OF THE CHURCH IN HOLLAND. 

For some years after their settlement in Pennsyl- 
vania the Reformed people were truly as sheep without 
a shepherd. They had no pastors. In 1710 Rev. 
Samuel Guldin came here as the first ordained minis- 
ter. He was a good man and preached until his death 
in 1 745, but he organized no congregations. As stated 
elsewhere in this volume, John Philip Boehm and Con- 
rad Tempelman commenced in 1725 to act as ministers 
among the people, after they had been conducting ser- 
vices for several years as " readers." They conducted 
the worship and read sermons to the people. Later 
they were ordained and labored in the ministry until 
death. 

Reformed people from Holland had preceded the 
Reformed from Germany to America. The former 
located in New York and New Jersey. The Church 
in Holland fostered their brethren in the New World 
as a mother cares for her children. She sent ministers 
and money to them. 

Gradually the destitute condition of the German 
Reformed in Pennsylvania was brought to the attention 
of the Reformed Church in Holland. In 1727 Rev. 
George Michael Weiss was sent by the Reformed 
Church of the Palatinate to Pennsylvania. The ship 



84 



EARLY HISTORY 



in which he made the voyage brought 400 emigrants 
from the Palatinate to Pennsylvania. Rev. Mr. 
Weiss' reports to the Church in Germany were com- 
municated to the Synods in Holland, and in this way 
the condition of the Reformed in Pennsylvania was 
officially brought before the brethren in Holland. This 
was in 1728. Later Rev. Mr. Weiss appealed directly 
to the Church in Holland for aid. He reported that 
there was a large number of Reformed members in 
America. They had come from the Palatinate and 
other sections of Germany. In 1729 Rev. Mr. Weiss, 
in company with Mr. Jacob Reiff, went to Holland and 
personally laid the wants of the German Reformed in 
Pennsylvania before the Reformed Church of that 
country. He collected money, Bibles and other good 
books for the people here. Weiss returned to Penn- 
sylvania in 1731. (Reiff returned later with a con- 
siderable amount of money which he kept many years 
before turning it over.) 

In 1731, while the Synod of South Holland was in 
session in Dortrecht, 800 exiled Palatines passed 
through the place to take ships at Rotterdam for 
America. The synod visited them in a body, and fur- 
nished them with provisions and medicines. After 
Christian exhortation, prayer and singing, the Dutch 
brethren gave them the assurance of help in their new 
home. From this time forward there was a continued 
correspondence between the German Reformed in Penn- 
sylvania and the Church in Holland. The latter had 
a standing committee for correspondence called Depu- 
ties. This committee served as a sort of Board of For- 
eign Missions. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



85 



The Church in Holland in the course of time looked 
around for a German minister whom they might send 
over to take charge of the work in America. They 
thought they had found such a man in Rev. Maurice 
Goetschi, who came here in 1735, but unfortunately 
died upon landing at Philadelphia. 

In the fall of 1737 the brethren in Holland asked 
Rev. Peter H. Dorsius, pastor of the Dutch Reformed 
church in Bucks county, for specific information in ref- 
erence to the German Reformed in Pennsylvania. Mr. 
Dorsius asked Rev. John P. Boehm to aid him in se- 
curing the desired information, which he did. The 
Church in Holland wanted to know how many German 
congregations there were in Pennsylvania, how many 
congregations in each pastor's charge, how many elders 
and deacons in each congregation, how about school- 
masters and precentors in the congregations, etc. Mr. 
Boehm made special journeys to various sections to 
secure the information, which was then sent to Holland. 

In 1738 the Holland Synods appointed Rev. P. H. 
Dorsius as their commissioner and inspector of the Ger- 
man churches in Pennsylvania. Boehm at once recog- 
nized Dorsius and labored under his direction. Dor- 
sius asked Boehm to present a report of the congrega- 
tions and the amounts they were willing to contribute 
for the support of pastors. Boehm made special trips 
to the congregations, traveling three hundred miles, 
and made a full report on March 30, 1740. (See 
pledges of support in chapter on Pastoral Support in 
this volume.) Dorsius visited several congregations, 
but his efforts were not productive of much good. 



86 



EARLY HISTORY 



In 1743 the Synods of Holland, through Dorsius, 
proposed a union of the German and Dutch Reformed 
and Presbyterian Churches in America, but the Pres- 
byterian Synod declined the proposition. We hear but 
little of Dorsius after this, until the coming of Schlat- 
ter. He resigned his charge in Bucks county in 1748. 

Thus the Reformed in Holland manifested their 
interest in the German brethren in Pennsylvania. 
They also sent a number of ministers and some money 
to aid in their support. But the arrangement was far 
from satisfactory. The relation involved extensive 
correspondence, which consumed much time and also 
failed to give full information. 

The Holland brethren now concluded to send a 
minister to Pennsylvania as their special representative 
to exercise a general oversight over the German Re- 
formed here. They made their intention known in 
Germany. After some delay Rev. Michael Schlatter, 
a young and talented minister of St. Gall, Switzerland, 
was recommended for the position. Mr. Schlatter was 
born in St. Gall on July 14, 1716. He studied in the 
University of Lyden, Holland, and other places, and 
was ordained to the ministry on April 10, 1739. After 
serving in several positions, he was appointed assistant 
pastor of the Reformed church at Linzebuhl, near St. 
Gall. After serving there a short time he left St. 
Gall on January 9, 1746, and went to the city of 
Heidelberg, where he learned of the call from Holland 
for a minister for Pennsylvania. He at once went to 
Holland and offered his services, on March 15, 1746. 
He submitted to a thorough examination, and made a 



OF THE EEFOEMED CHUKCH. 



87 



favorable impression. His testimonials were also satis- 
factory. Schlatter was appointed. The deputies state 
that he was of good family, well educated and under- 
stood Hebrew, Greek, German, Dutch and French. 




REV. MICHAEL SCHLATTER, 

They gave him all the money then in their treasury, 
$242.22. He was also given $180 in Amsterdam by 
the Church. 

Rev. Mr. Schlatter was given specific instructions. 
He was to organize the ministers and congregations in 



88 



EARLY HISTORY 



Pennsylvania into a Coetus or Synod, which was to 
meet annually. The doctrinal basis was to be the 
Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of the Synod of 
Dort. The Coetus was to report its work to the 
Church in Holland. He was to visit all the congrega- 
tions and inform himself about them. Where there 
were no congregations, he was to organize such. After 
this work had been performed Schlatter was to serve 
as pastor of a charge. The instructions are dated May 
23, 1746. 

Schlatter sailed from Amsterdam June 1, 1746, 
landed at Boston August 1 and reached Philadelphia 
on September 6. He lost no time in addressing him- 
self to his task, and on the very next day entered upon 
his work. He visited the congregations, grouped them 
into charges, and ascertained how much each congrega- 
tion was willing to pay towards the pastor's salary. 
He found 46 congregations more or less fully organ- 
ized, besides a number which he had not yet visited. 
Some of the congregations already had a large member- 
ship. He organized the 46 congregations into sixteen 
pastoral charges. On October 12, 1746, he called a 
preliminary conference of the Reformed ministers in 
Philadelphia, which was attended by Revs. Boehm, 
Weiss and Rieger, besides Schlatter. This was the 
first time these ministers had met together. The Coe- 
tus was formally organized in the Reformed church on 
Race street, Philadelphia, on September 29, 1747. 
There were present Revs. Schlatter, Boehm, Weiss and 
Rieger, and 27 elders from twelve congregations. 
The Coetus met annually, and sent its minutes to Hoi- 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



89 



land for approval. With several exceptions all of 
these minutes are still extant. 

The Holland brethren now took greater interest in 
the condition of the German Reformed in Pennsylvania 
than ever. They now had a regular source of infor- 
mation. They sent ministers and money here for the 
fostering of the Church. 

This relation of the Church here with the Church 
in Holland continued until the year 1793, when the 
Coetus was changed into a Synod, and the Church in 
this country declared itself independent of the Church 
in Holland. During this period the Church in Hol- 
land sent 37 ministers and about 1000 Bibles here, and 
contributed a considerable sum of money for the sup- 
port of ministers and schoolmasters. The German 
Reformed Church in this country owes a lasting debt 
of gratitude to the Dutch Reformed Church in Holland 
for the aid received during the early part of her history. 

Mr. Schlatter reports that from 1747 to 1751 he 
traveled more than 8000 miles, mostly on horseback, 
in visiting the people, and preached 635 times. He 
states that he traveled by day and by night, in heat 
and cold. In the beginning of 1751 Schlatter went to 
Europe to lay the wants of the people personally before 
the Church in Holland. He published a printed ap- 
peal, which resulted in the collection of a large amount 
of money, which' was invested and the interest used for 
the Church in Pennsylvania. He returned to Penn- 
sylvania in the spring of 1752, with six young minis- 
ters—Revs. John Waldschmid, H. W. Stay, P. W. Ot- 
terbein, John J. Wissler, Theo. Frankenfeld and John 
7 



90 



EARLY HISTORY 



C. Rtibel. In 17534ie again went to Holland, and pre- 
sented his resignation there. He was then appointed 
superintendent of the charity schools which were to be 
organized in Pennsylvania, and returned to America in 
September of 1754. In 1757 he was made chaplain of 
the German troops in the British army. Subsequently 
he took up his residence at Chestnut Hill, and during 
many years preached in the Barren Hill church. He 
died on October 31, 1790, and was buried in the Re- 
formed cemetery in Philadelphia, which is now Frank- 
lin Square. 

The Dutch Church iu Holland cared for the Dutch 
people in New York and New Jersey substantially in 
the same way as it cared for the German Church in 
Pennsylvania. As stated before, the Dutch settlements 
in New York and New Jersey occurred long before the 
Germans came to Pennsylvania. The first Dutch Re- 
formed congregation was organized by Rev. Jonas 
Michaelius in the year 1626 in the loft of the mill 
within the fort on Manhattan Island, now the city of 
New York. This congregation has a continued exist- 
ence to this day, and is the oldest Protestant church on 
the American continent. The Dutch Reformed in 
New York were organized into a Coetus on September 
14, 1747, fifteen days before the organization of the 
German Reformed Coetus in Philadelphia. The Hol- 
land supervision of the Dutch Church in the United 
States continued until the year 1771. In this year the 
connection was severed, and the American Church be- 
came independent. 



OF THE KEFORMED CHURCH. 



91 



19. 

THE COETUS. 

The word Coetus is derived from the Latin and 
means coming together, or a convention. The monthly 
meetings of the Deputies of the Synods in Holland 
were called Coetus. The word is used to designate a 
subordinate body, and was applied to the first organi- 
zation of Reformed ministers and elders in Pennsyl- 
vania, because they were under the supervision of the 
Church in Holland. 

As stated elsewhere, the Coetus was organized in 
Philadelphia on September 29, 1747, with four minis- 
ters, Revs. Boehm, Weiss, Rieger and Schlatter, and 
27 elders from 12 congregations. (See sketch of Rev. 
Michael Schlatter on page 86.) Regular annual meet- 
ings were held, with the exception of the years 1778 
and 1780 on account of the war of the Revolution, un- 
til 1792. At this latter meeting a committee was ap- 
pointed to frame a constitution for a Synod, consisting 
of Revs. Hendel, Pomp and Blumer. In 1793 this 
constitution was adopted and the Coetus changed into 
an independent Synod. 

The Coetus was for a long time a small body, be- 
cause the number of ministers ^as small, and not all 
of the Reformed ministers entered into it. And then 
at various times some had to be expelled. Gradually 



92 



EARLY HISTORY 



the number of ministers in the state increased, as did 
the Coetus. In 1753 the Coetus was split into two 
factions, and one faction held a meeting in Lancaster, 
whilst the other met at Cocalico. The Holland Fath- 
ers recognized the Lancaster party as the legal body. 

The Coetus sought to watch over the scattered Ee- 
formed people and provide ministers for them. It 
made yearly reports to the Synods in Holland, includ- 
ing a copy of its proceedings, which required the ap- 
proval of the Synods. It stated the condition and 
needs of the people. 

The meetings of the Coetus were usually opened in 
the churches with a sermon, a practise which has ever 
since been followed by the Classes and Synods. In 
1752 a preliminary meeting was held before the begin- 
ning of the regular meeting in Lancaster. This meet- 
ing was closed with a thanksgiving sermon. After the 
opening the business sessions were frequently held in 
the school houses, probably because they were better 
suited for a small meeting. The Coetus met in Easton 
for the first time in 1768, but there was then as yet no 
church in the town, and therefore the meeting was 
opened with a sermon in the court house. The ses- 
sions were held in a private house. 

One of the drawbacks of the Coetus was the fact 
that at first it had no authority to ordain young men 
to the ministry, except upon permission of the Holland 
Synods. This was an awkward and unsatisfactory ar- 
rangement. It required a long time to obtain such 
permission for ordination. Meanwhile there was press- 
ing need of ministers, and frequently there were can- 



# 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 93 

didates awaiting ordination. Coetus frequently pleaded 
for the right to examine and ordain young men, but 
the Fathers in Holland were slow to grant it. In the 
course of time the Coetus ordained a number of young 
men without waiting for official permission, and asked 
the Fathers to confirm the action. In other instances 
ordination took place upon permission received from 
Holland. In this way the Coetus ordained during its 
history Revs. Jona. DuBois, Conrad Tempeiman, John 
D. Gross, Fred. Fahring, Benedict Schwab, Caspar 
Wack, Daniel Wagner, John W. Weber, J. W. G. 
Xevelling, John C. Steiner, jr., William Runkel, Philip 
Pauli, Ludovicus Chitara, J. Philip Stock, Jonathan 
Rahauser, John Maun, etc. 

In 1 788 the Coetus for the first time reported that 
practically all places were supplied with ministers. 
There was no place of refuge for a minister who might 
wish to resign his charge. The ranks of the ministry 
had been filled up through the ordination of young 
men and new arrivals from Europe. 

The spirit of independence in political affairs natu- 
rally also fostered independence in ecclesiastical mat- 
ters. The establishment of a republican form of gov- 
ernment in this country undoubtedly hastened the sep- 
aration of the Reformed Church here from the control 
of the Church in Holland. In the report of the Coetus 
to Holland in 1789 it is stated that the several denom- 
inations were forming Classes and Synods, and that the 
same thing would become necessary for the Reformed 
Church, in which case the name Coetus would be too 
limited. The hope is expressed that the Church in 
Holland would realize this. 



94 



EARLY HISTORY 



The members of the Coetus also felt the need of a 
school in which to train young men for the ministry. 
(See Chapter on Educational Movements.) 

In the course of time the correspondence with the 
mother Church in Holland became more and more un- 
satisfactory. It took nearly a whole year to send a 
letter from here to Holland and receive a reply. After 
the minutes had been written out and a copy made, the 
secretary had to make a journey to Philadelphia to 
learn when a ship would sail for Holland or England. 
Frequently there was a delay of several weeks on this 
account, and then ships did not ply during the winter 
on account of the ice. In this way the minutes of a 
meeting in September or October could at times not be 
sent from Philadelphia before the following spring. 
Then letters were sometimes lost through shipwreck or 
other causes. All these facts caused great delay, ser- 
ious annoyance and damage to religious work. All 
the ministers felt that the time was drawing near when 
the American Church must become independent of the 
Church in Holland. At the same time the brotherly 
kindness received from the latter in the form of sym- 
pathy and practical help in money and ministers was 
never forgotten or unappreciated. 

Finally the crisis was reached in 1791. It was 
evident to all that if the Church were to prosper it 
must be independent of foreign supervision, and have 
the power to ordain a native ministry. Many of the 
foreign ministers were no longer suited for the work 
here, nor could a sufficient number always be secured. 
The population had largely increased, and the Church 
was called to more aggressive work. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



95 



At the meeting of 1791 at Lancaster, held on July 
27-28, the following resolutions were adopted : 

" Resolved, That the Coetus has the right at all 
times to examine and ordain those who offer themselves 
as candidates for the ministry, without asking or wait- 
ing for permission to do so from the Fathers in Holland. 

"Resolved, That the Coetus each time furnish the 
Reverend Fathers with' a report of their proceedings, 
accompanied with suitable explanations when it is 
necessary." 

This was a declaration of independence. (At this 
meeting the death of Dr. C. D. Weyberg was an- 
nounced.) One step more was needed, and that was 
taken at the meeting of the following year, 1792, at 
Philadelphia, May 6-7, when a committee, consisting 
of Revs. Hendel, Pomp and Blumer, was appointed to 
frame a constitution for a Synod. Then at the meet- 
ing of the Coetus, April 27, 1793, at Lancaster, the 
constitution reported by the above committee was 
adopted, and the Coetus thereby changed to a Synod. 
Thirteen of the twenty-two ministers were present. Of 
the absent ones all except three had sent excuses. 
Thus the separation of the Reformed Church in the 
United States from the Church in Holland was now 
complete. The new Synod included 22 ministers, 178 
congregations and about 15,000 communicant mem- 
bers. The number of the congregations shows the 
growth of the Church, which now entered upon a new 
era. 



96 



EARLY HISTORY 



20. 

ELDERS AT COETUS. 

At the organization of the Coetus in 1747 there 
were present 27 elders and only four ministers. The 
Coetus always consisted of ministers and elders. At 
the second meeting in 1748 it was resolved that each 
elder coming to Coetus should present a certificate 
signed by all the members of the consistory v The cer- 
tificates were to be preserved for all time, so that no 
one might complain about what might be transacted. 
A form of certificate for elders was adopted, which con- 
tained the statement that whatever the elder, together 
with the pastor, would " present, transact, resolve and 
subscribe (except what is contrary to our Reformed 
Church and doctrine)/' should have as much value and 
force among them as if each one had been present and 
acted in like manner. 

In the course of time a dispute arose whether the 
elders should have a vote. The number of elders 
being so much larger than that of the ministers, it was 
feared the former might take matters into their own 
hands and outvote the ministers. Rev. Mr. Schlatter, 
who was the president of the Coetus during several 
years, was charged with having at one time allowed the 
elders to vote, and then again refused this right. But 
the fact was that he was acting under instructions from 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



97 



Holland, and the blame rested with the Fathers there. 
In the course of time the elders always enjoyed the 
right of voting at all ecclesiastical meetings. In our 
time there is no danger of the elders outvoting the min- 
isters. There is one elder sent to Classis from each 
pastoral charge, but there are always some unemployed 
ministers and some who are engaged in other lines of 
work than the active pastorate (such as professors, edi- 
tors, officers of various boards, etc.), and all such have 
the right of voting. Besides, the charges are seldom 
all represented by elders. 

In the early days, as at present, it was difficult to 
have the elders remain until the close of the Coetus. 
In 1770 it is stated that some of them had been absent 
from home for more than a week, and some had to 
travel 80-100 miles to their homes. For this reason 
some were dismissed after the important business had 
been transacted. In our day elders do not like to 
remain long on account of their business. Some com- 
plain that the ministers " talk too much." 

The custom of asking the elders at the meetings of 
the Classes whether the ministers were faithfully per- 
forming their duties was introduced at an early date by 
the Coetus. The elders answered frequently with a 
frankness which would be surprising in these days. 
They often brought complaints of serious character 
against the ministers. Unfortunately the complaints 
were frequently in reference to the conduct of the pas- 
tors. These complaints and charges were investigated 
by the Coetus, and in some instances they were found 
to be either untrue or the result of misunderstandings. 
But at times they were only too true. 



98 



EAKLY HISTOEY 



In 1760 the elders of Rev. John Waldschmid 
stated that they were satisfied with his preaching, but 
desired that he might be more diligent in family visita- 
tion, and more prudent in his general conduct. 

In the same year it was reported that Rev. Mr. 
Stoy had kidnapped his wife, but an examination 
showed that it was a slander. Mr. Stoy was married in 
the presence of his wife's parents and three ministers. 

Rev. C. M. Stapel, of Amwell, N. J., took an orig- 
inal way of securiug a wife. He arranged a lottery for 
the purpose. He prepared fifteen cards, upon which 
were the names of so many ladies, of whom one was to 
be selected as his wife. He asked the consistory to be 
a party to this scheme, but the record states that " no 
one was simple enough to fall in with his scheme." 
He even threatened to compel them by the aid of a 
justice. Two elders brought a complaint to Coetus in 
1764. They stated that the minister passed his time 
partly in drinking, partly in thinking of the women 
and partly in practising medicine. We are not told 
whether this man secured a wife. 

In 1768 Elder William Bausman, in the name of 
27 members of the church at Lancaster, made com- 
plaint before Coetus against Dr. William Hendel, the 
pastor, who in this year was president of the Coetus. 
The difficulty arose from the fact that Dr. Hendel was 
supplying the people at Pequea, and the matter was 
properly adjusted. 

In 1769 an elder complained that Rev. Mr. Witt- 
ner came late to church, neglected the instruction of 
the children and made no house visitations. 



OF THE REFOEMED CHUECH. 



99 



In the same year complaint was made that Rev. 
Mr. Lange would not baptize a child unless he had 
been paid in advance, and that he had given the com- 
munion to unchaste persons. 

In 1790 Elder Sebastian Mueller, of Germantown, 
accused his pastor, Rev. Mr. Fahring, with having " in 
a sly manner eloped with Mueller's daughter." The 
Coetus declared that although Rev. Mr. Fahring had 
some cause for his action, yet his way of entering into 
wedlock was very offensive and irregular. 

In 1771 Ham's church in Berks county com- 
plained that Rev. John Waldschmid " had been some- 
what lazy and negligent." For this reason the church 
attendance had decreased. 

L. OF C. 



100 



EARLY HISTORY 



21. 

" CENSURA MORUM." 

At the annual sessions of the Coetus one of the 
items of business was the " Censura Mora in This 
Latin term means an investigation of the conduct of 
ministers. This examination was held without the 
presence of the elders. It was a kind of executive ses- 
sion. The minutes of 1755 tell us that this investiga- 
tion was held " in love, yet with earnestness, and it 
was continued from the oldest to the youngest minister, 
according to the Church Order." We are told further 
that the work was completed to the satisfaction of all. 
No serious complaints were preferred against any of 
the ministers. The record goes on to state : " May it 
now please our Master and Savior Jesus Christ to be- 
gin, continue and graciously complete in us His 1 cen- 
sura morum/ revealing the whole heart, so that in the 
future with holy fear we may walk circumspectly be- 
fore Jehovah's face in wisdom, and thus become wiser, 
humbler, more edifying, more useful and more Christ- 
like in thought, speech and act, and thus blessed, may 
learn to labor and be a blessing unto others." 

These statements and facts give us an insight into 
the character of the early Reformed ministers. Whilst 
there were a number of unworthy ministers outside the 
Coetus, the character of those who were members of 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



101 



this body was watched with zealous care. It would 
have been well had this practice been continued until 
the present time. It would have saved the Church 
from many scandals, as a result of the bad character of 
ministers. It would be a good practice in the present 
day. As it is, it is difficult to secure action when there 
is complaint agaiust a minister. It is usually a deli- 
cate matter to bring charges, and the Classis will not 
take action in the absence of a plaintiff. It is true, it 
may take action upon a common rumor, but this is sel- 
dom done. The good character of the minister is so 
essential to his usefulness that great harm often results 
from official indifference in this matter. 

The several Methodist Churches have a form of 
business at their annual conferences which corresponds 
with the Censura Morum of the Reformed fathers. 
The character of each minister is inquired into. If we 
are correctly informed, such questions as these are 
asked : Is his moral character correct ? Does he pay 
his debts? etc. We repeat, we believe this system to 
be a good one. In the absence of it official action is 
frequently delayed until much harm has been done. 



102 



EARLY HISTORY 



22. 

METHOD OF VOTING. 

In our day we employ several methods of voting 
in meetings — acclamation, ballot and rising. In Switz- 
erland it has been the custom to vote by " meer" — 
raising the right hand. In this way Rev. Michael 
Schlatter, who was a Swiss by birth, took the vote of 
the people in 1746 in Pennsylvania on the subject of 
accepting his plan of organizing congregations into pas- 
toral charges. In this way he had the Reformed peo- 
ple of Philadelphia on September 18, 1746, vote upon 
three questions : 

1. Whether they desired to have a regular and 
settled pastor, who should preach every Sunday. 

2. Whether they would grant him a fixed salary 
and pay it regularly. 

3. Whether they would support a minister jointly 
with the congregation at Germantown. 

All the questions were decided unanimously in the 
affirmative by " meer" — raising of hands. Mr. Schlat- 
ter then at once asked the people to sign their names to 
a subscription list, with the amount each one was wil- 
ling to give per year towards pastor's salary. Sixty- 
nine persons subscribed 30 pounds, or $80. Besides 
this Mr. Schlatter asked that sixteen men pledge them- 
selves to see that the above amount would be paid an- 
nually without fail. This was done. 



OF THE REFORMED CHUBCH. 



103 



In the afternoon of the same day Mr. Schlatter 
went to Germantown and had the Reformed people 
there vote upon the same questions as had been done 
in the morning in Philadelphia, that is, also by " meer," 
raising of hands. The plan was adopted unanimously, 
and some sixty men subscribed 25 pounds, about §66. 
In this way Philadelphia* and Germantown were united 
into a pastoral charge in 1746. 

On a later occasion Mr. Schlatter employed a dif- 
ferent method of voting. During the controversy in 
the church in Philadelphia on one occasion during the 
service he asked those who were in favor of him to put 
on their hats. This was a novel way of taking a vote. 

It is generally customary that in case of a tie the 
president casts the deciding vote. Otherwise the pres- 
ident does not vote. The Coetus of 1756 decided that 
in case of a tie vote the president shall cast a double 
vote. 




104 



EARLY HISTORY 



23. 

EARLY CHURCH QUARRELS. 

The Church on earth is called the Church militant, 
because she is fighting against satan and sin. But it 
sometimes happens that church members fight against 
each other. In such conflicts the common enemy is 
usually forgotten. We believe that if it is possible for 
satan to laugh, he does so when Christians fight each 
other. Church fights are the result of human weak- 
ness, and are deplorable. A vast deal of harm is done 
by them. 

The first quarrel in the Reformed Church in Penn- 
sylvania occurred at Skippack about the year 1727 or 
1728. A Reformed congregation had been organized 
in 1725, and Rev. John P. Boehm was the pastor. All 
went well until the arrival of Rev. Geo. M. Weiss from 
Europe on October 2, 1727. Weiss at once opposed 
Rev. Mr. Boehm on the ground that he was not or- 
dained and had no right to serve as a minister. The 
result was two parties. In 1727 a small log church 
was erected at Skippack on land which Mr. Jacob 
Reiff owned. Great strife existed between the two 
parties. On March 10, 1728, Rev. Weiss and his 
party debarred Rev. Boehm from the use of the church, 
and Mr. B. thereafter for some years preached in pri- 
vate houses. 



OF THE EEFOEMED CHTTECH. 



105 



In order to allay the opposition to Mr. Boehm on 
account of his not being ordained, he was by order of 
the Fathers in Holland ordained by a committee of 
Dutch ministers in New York on Nov. 23, 1729. Rev. 
Mr. AVeiss was present, and he and Mr. Boehm were 
reconciled, and Mr. Weiss in writing promised to re- 
main away from Skippack and not to interfere with 
any of Boehm's congregations. But he was not sin- 
cere, for he continued to oppose him at Skippack and 
elsewhere as before. 

The feud was aggravated by the refusal of Mr. 
Reiff to account for the money which he had collected 
in Europe for Skippack and Philadelphia in 1730-32. 
(See Chapter on Money not Going to the Right Place.) 
Finally after preaching a long time in private houses 
Rev. Mr. Boehm upon his own responsibility pur- 
chased a tract of land a short distance below Skippack, 
upon which the church known as Wentz's church was 
erected in 1762. Mr. Boehm's party had been reor- 
ganized into a congregation a few years before. Reiff's 
party continued for some years to worship in the origi- 
nal log church, but finally disbanded, and the church 
was demolished in 1760. Thus ended the first church 
quarrel. 

The second church quarrel occurred in the congre- 
gation in Philadelphia in 1749, and continued a long 
time. Rev. Michael Schlatter was the pastor. Some 
difficulty arose between him and the consistory. The 
probability is that this would have subsided had not 
the newly-arrived Rev. John C. Steiner come upon the 
scene and taken a hand in it. Mr. Steiner came to 
8 



106 



EARLY HISTORY 



Pennsylvania in September of 1749, and was received 
with the greatest kindness by Eev. Mr. Schlatter. He 
was to have become the pastor of the congregation at 
Lancaster, and had accepted their call. It had already 
been arrauged to send horse from Lancaster to con- 
vey Mr. Steiner from Philadelphia to that place. But 
he was taken ill, and upon his recovery remained in 
Philadelphia. There is no doubt that his presence en- 
couraged the opponents of Schlatter. The consistory 
undertook to dismiss Mr. Schlatter on October 5, 1749. 
The congregation protested in a statement which was 
signed by eighty members. The consistory was de- 
posed and a new one elected. Mr. Schlatter, rather 
than have a quarrel, was disposed to withdraw, but his 
friends insisted^that he remain. The matter was in- 
vestigated by the Coetus on October 21, 1749, and 
their decision was unanimously in favor of Mr. Schlat- 
ter. The decision was signed by the members of the 
Coetus, including Mr. Steiner. But the old consistory 
ignored the Coetus, and maintained its position. It 
now created a scandal by circulating unfavorable re- 
ports about the early character of Mr. Schlatter in 
Europe. Mr. Steiner has been credited with bringing 
the facts upon which the accusation was based to the 
notice of Mr. Schlatter's opponents. 

These opponents now elected Rev. Mr. Steiner as 
pastor, and the result] was two factions, each one hav- 
ing a pastor at its head, and there was much strife. 
It is reported that 110 members adhered to Schlatter 
and 140 to Steiner. One published report states that 
Mr. Steiner entered the pulpit on a Saturday evening 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



107 



and remained in it all night, fo as to be sure to hold it 
on Sunday morning. Another report says that one of 
the pastors entered the church on a Saturday evening 
and remained in it all night. 

Matters came to a point on Sunday, January 14, 
1750, when both parties tried to hold services. There 
was much disputing. When one minister tried to 
preach or pray, his opponents commenced to sing. 
This was kept up for about two hours. A published 
report of this meeting states that it " was a scandal in 
the eyes of the negroes and heathen/' 

Finally both parties became tired of the contro- 
versy and appealed to Thomas Lawrence, mayor of the 
city, William Allen, recorder, and Benjamin Shoe- 
maker, an alderman, to aid them in adjusting their dif- 
ficulties. These three gentlemen, after considering the 
matter, suggested that the whole trouble should be 
submitted to a committee of six impartial gentlemen. 
Both parties accepted this proposition, and agreed to 
close the church pending a settlement. A committee 
was appointed, which on March 6, 1750, decided in 
favor of Eev. Mr. Schlatter and his friends, and thus 
ended the second serious congregational quarrel in the 
Reformed Church of Pennsylvania. 

The Steiner party wanted neither judges, ministers 
or lawyers on the committee. They claimed that the 
judges were too high, the ministers could not be impar- 
tial and the lawyers were not conscientious enough. 
Some thirty persons were proposed. Finally six men 
were agreed upon. One of them was an Episcopalian 
and five of them were Quakers, and all were business 



108 



EARLY HISTORY 



men. They were : William Clyner, Thomas Lord, 
Hugh Roberts, John Mifflin, John Smith and Abel 
James. After deliberating about three weeks, the com- 
mittee on March 6, 1750, decided unanimously in favor 
of Mr. Schlatter and his party. Mr. Schlatter's char- 
acter was vindicated. The old consistory was directed 
to convey the church property on Sassafras (Race) 
street to the Schlatter party, and the latter was to as- 
sume the debt of 800 pounds. It was also directed 
that all law suits be discontinued by the plaintiffs in 
each case. Some persons had been prosecuted. The 
names of the creditors were given, together with the 
amounts due each. The largest creditor was William 
Allen, esq., whose claim was 600 pounds. Benjamin 
Loxley was entitled to 96 pounds. The other amounts 
were small. 

The Steiner party had pressed its charges against 
the moral character of Schlatter. In reply it was ar- 
gued that these charges were " superannuated" (out- 
lawed, too old), and the example of Christ's action in 
the case of the women taken in adultery was cited. 
But the Steiner party replied " that the woman had 
not been a minister." 

The committee of six did not charge anything for 
their services, but they directed that each party in the 
case should pay one-half of the board bill. We have 
no means of knowing how much this amounted to, but 
since five of the committee were Quakers, we may be 
certain that it was moderate and did not include any 
items for cigars, champagne, whiskey, etc., like the 
bills of modern investigation committees on the part of 
the Legislature or Congress. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



109 



The unfortunate controversy had become a public 
scandal. Saur's paper published several articles on the 
subject. From them it appears that then already 
there were people like many in our day, who greatly 
enjoyed church quarrels. Mr. Saur was charged with 
being one-sided. Rev. Richard Peters, an Episcopal 
clergyman, who was secretary of the Penns and of the 
governor of Pennsylvania, examined the case carefully 
in the interest of religion, and published a statement on 
April 6, 1750. He exonorated Rev. Mr. Schlatter 
completely, and declared that he was severely slan- 
dered. Mr. Peters says that the enemies of Schlatter 
" had ingratiated themselves into the good opinion of a 
very malignant and credulous printer called Saur, of 
Germantown, and persuaded him to publish their vile, 
malignant and scandalous statement of a part of their 
case." Mr. Peters states further that he advised Mr. 
Schlatter and his friends not to reply to the statements 
published in Saur's paper. 

Rev. Mr. Steiner and his party now withdrew from 
the congregation, organized another one and erected a 
church on Race street. The result was two weak con- 
gregations. Mr. Steiner served the new congregation 
about two years, when he resigned on account of insuf- 
ficient support. He was succeeded by Rev. John C. 
Rubel, one of the six young men whom Mr. Schlatter 
brought from Europe in 1752. 

In 1755 the Coetus undertook to reunite both par- 
ties. Both Mr. Schlatter and Mr. Rubel agreed to 
resign and withdraw, which they did. They preached 
their farewell sermons on April 27, 1755. 



110 



EARLY HISTORY 



Singularly in 1759 the reunited congregation once 
more called Rev. John C. Steiner, the former rival of 
Rev. Mr. Schlatter, to the pastorate. He was now 
more successful and labored with acceptance until his 
death three years later, on July 6, 1762, at the early 
age of 55 years. He was buried in the graveyard in 
what is now Franklin Square. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



Ill 



24. 

CHARITY SCHOOLS. 

The early settlers of Pennsylvania and founders of 
the Reformed Church were poor. They had been poor 
before they left the Fatherland along the Rhine in 
Germany. During the frequent wars their homes 
were devastated and their property destroyed. Many 
had only enough to pay their passage across the ocean, 
and others were sent over as objects of charity. After 
their arrival they had their hands full in establishing 
humble homes and clearing land for the support of 
their families. 

Under these circumstances they could do very lit- 
tle to establish schools for the instruction of the chil- 
dren. Here and there a few schools were started by 
congregations at an early day, but these were not suffi- 
cient for the widely scattered people. In consequence 
many children grew up in ignorance. It was a sad 
condition. This was one of the complaints in the ap- 
peals of our fathers for help. 

In the year 1746 Rev. Michael Schlatter was by 
the Reformed Church of Holland sent to Pennsylvania 
to organize and aid the Reformed people. In the next 
year, 1747, he organized the Coetus or Classis. He 
traveled over 8000 miles from 1747 to 1751 in serving 
the people. In 1751 the Classis sent him to Europe to 



112 



EARLY HISTORY 



represent the destitute condition of the Reformed peo- 
ple to their brethren in Holland, Germany and other 
states. He made a pathetic appeal in behalf of the 
people, and met with a generous response. A con- 
siderable sum was raised to establish schools and to aid 
congregations. Mr. Schlatter returned to Pennsyl- 
vania in 1752 and brought six young ministers with 
him. 

The work of raising money to establish schools 
among the Germans in Pennsylvania was continued in 
England and Scotland. In November, 1753, Mr. 




Sohoolhouse at Reading, Pa. 

Schlatter again went to Europe in the interest of the 
school movement. A society had been formed in Lon- 
don to further the plan. A superintendent of the 
schools was needed, and the society elected Mr. Schlat- 
ter on April 20, 1754. Accordingly he resigned as a 
pastor of the Reformed Church and commissioner of 
the Holland Synods on May 14, 1754. 

Rev. Mr. Schlatter returned to Pennsylvania on 
September 28, 1754, and soon after set to work to or- 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



113 



ganize schools. A number of prominent men of Penn- 
sylvania were appointed as trustees of the schools. 
Charity schools were established at Reading, Lancaster, 
York, Easton, New Hanover, Skippack and other 
places. The one in Reading was organized by Mr. 
Schlatter on March 5, 1755. Considerable good was 
done by the schools, but they fell far short of expecta- 
tions. On the whole they may be called a failure. 
The support expected from Europe was small and slow 
in coming. A large part of the money collected 
abroad was there invested and only the income sent 
here. By and by the people became disgusted, and 
some refused the small support allowed them. There 
were several reasons for this. One was that the peo- 
ple in Pennsylvania had been represented in England 
(not by Schlatter) as being very ignorant and next to 
barbarians. William Parsons in a letter addressed to. 
Secretary Peters, under date of October 18, 1754, re- 
ferring to the Pennsylvania Germans in what he calls 
the back settlements, says : "I am sometimes ready to 
question whether it be men or brutes that these gener- 
ous benefactors (Englishmen) are about to civilize.'' 
Some Englishmen feared that such people, unless -edu- 
cated, would become dangerous to the English interests 
in Pennsylvania. In the second place the German 
settlers were made to believe that the British sup- 
ported the schools for the purpose of introducing the 
English language among the people here. This view 
is supported by a statement of Dr. William Smith, 
head of the academy in Philadelphia, in a letter to 
Rev. S. Chandler, of London, dated May 30, 1754. 



114 



EARLY HISTORY 



He says it was a wise thing to teach the English lan- 
guage to the Germans in order to unite them with the 
cause of England, and to prevent them from being 
allied with the French. He thought this was one of 
the most useful efforts which the British could make. 

The Germans were very jealous of their language, 
and were easily aroused upon this point. Mr. Saur, 
the editor of the only German paper published here 
then, led off in circulating this view of the matter. 
During this agitation Eev. Mr. Schlatter received a 
large share of abuse, because some believed that he 
was playing into the hands of the English government. 
It was all wrong, but when people are once aroused 
they do not stop long to consider the right or wrong of 
a matter. In this way the usefulness of Mr. Schlatter 
was greatly impaired. 

The charity schools as such came to an end about 
1759, when the last foreign support was given. Some 
of the congregations now undertook the support and 
management of the schools themselves, and continued 
them a long time. The one in Reading was continued 
until near the middle of the last century, until the 
death of the last teacher, John Roland, who died in 
1849, after having served over fifty years. The school- 
house, which had been erected in 1776 at the corner of 
Seventh and Washington streets, was sold in 1850. 
Only one of the scholars of this school is still living, 
Mr. John F. Moers, of Reading. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



115 



25. 

PASTORAL SUPPORT. 

The early ministers before and during the Coetal 
period had a very meagre support. The people were 
very poor and had but little money. They did what 
they could to support the ministers, but they lacked 
the ability. Rev. John P. Boehm preached at a num- 
ber of places from 1720 to 1725, and received only 
about f 200. He never received anything like a living 
salary, and supported his family largely by labor on 
his farm. Rev. Michael Schlatter reported, at the 
close of his work, that he had not only expended all he 
ever received, but also $1000 which his mother had 
given him. The early Reformed ministers almost 
without exception were not only poor, but many really 
suffered from want. There are frequent complaints on 
this account. The ministers practised great self-denial 
in preaching the gospel, and frequently endured severe 
hardships. 

At the request of Rev. P. H. Dorsius, the Dutch 
Reformed minister in Bucks county, who was at the 
time serving as a kind of overseer of the German Re- 
formed churches in Pennsylvania for the Holland 
Synods, Rev. John P. Boehm during the months of 
January, February and March of 1740 made a special 
tour of the congregations to ascertain what each one 



116 



EARLY HISTORY 



was willing to contribute annually for the support of 
pastors. On March 30, 1740, Mr. Boehm made a full 
report to Mr. Dorsius. The pledges were signed by 
the elders and deacons. The congregations promised 
to contribute the following amounts for the support of 
ministers sent by the Holland Synods. We give the 
names as they were then spelled : 

Falckner Schwam, 10 pounds in money and 20 
bushels of oats. 

Schip Bach, 10 pounds in money and 20 bushels of 
oats. 

Oley, 10 pounds, 20 bushels of oats. 
Maxadani, 4 pounds. 
Gagushi, no resolution. 
Dolpihacke, 15 pounds, 50 bushels of oats. 
Canastocka, called Cocolica, 6 pounds, 20 bushels 
of oats. 

Bergkirche, 8 pounds, 25 bushels of oats. 

Lancaster, 15 pounds. 

Philadelphia, 10 pounds. - 

Germandon, including Weitmarge, 10 pounds. 

New Goshenhoppen, 10 pounds. 

Grosse Schwam, 5 pounds. 

Saconkrik, 5 pounds. 

Total, 123 pounds in money and 165 bushels of 
oats. A pound was worth about $2.60 in Pennsyl- 
vania money. 

The people promised so much oats because they 
could spare that better than money. They raised con- 
siderable oats, but could not readily turn it into money. 
Besides the ministers could use the oats as feed for 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



117 



their horses. (In the early history of Virginia the sal- 
aries of ministers were largely paid in tobacco.) 

The people at White Marsh state that they were 
very weak in numbers and poor, and would unite with 
Germantown. 

At a meeting of the Reformed congregation at Lan- 
caster on January 28, 1750, it was resolved "that the 
pastor (Rev. Ludwig F. Vock) shall for the year re- 
ceive 40 pounds in cash, Pennsylvania currency. For 
proclamation and marriage he shall receive 7 shillings 
and 6 pence. For preaching a funeral sermon, from 
those w 7 ho are able, 5 shillings. For baptizing chil- 
dren he shall receive nothing. In addition to this the 
pastor shall be furnished with a free dwelling house ; 
also six cords of wood. He shall also have four Sab- 
baths free to preach at other places, viz., the first Sab- 
bath after Easter, the first after Whitsuntide, on St. 
Michael's Day and on Sabbath after New Year." 
Wood was frequently a part of the pastor's salary. 
Such was the case with the pastors at Reading until a 
comparatively recent date. In 1842 the call to Rev. 
J. C. Bucher included " $600 in money, the use of a 
house, sufficient fire wood for his family, the services 
of a physician and expenses for moving to Reading." 
In 1848 Rev. A. S. Leinbach, when called to Reading, 
was promised $500 in money, a house rent free and the 
free service of a physician. 

The Coetus frequently complained to the Fathers 
in Holland on account of their insufficient support. 
In 1764 the Coetus pleaded with the Fathers in Hol- 
land for increased support and five or six more minis- 



118 



EARLY HISTORY 



ters, and stated that if their request was denied they 
would have to abandon the Coetus. Besides the pov- 
erty of the people, they were not well organized, and 
some, who were renters, moved around a good deal. 
The ministers also had to wait a long time for the 
small amounts which were given them. The allow- 
ances from Holland were under these circumstances 
most helpful, and were gratefully received. 

The salaries of ministers were fixed in Holland at 
450 Dutch guilders per year. This was equivalent to 
67 J pounds sterling (English money), or $170 Penn- 
sylvania money. In 1765 the members of the Coetus 
in their report to Holland state that 450 florins is " too 
little to live on, and too much to die." In 1766 Rev. 
J. G. Alsentz, of Germantown, used the same expres- 
sion in reference to himself. 

During the Revolution the ministers, like other 
people, suffered severely through the depreciation of 
the paper money issued by Congress. Good money the 
people had none, and the paper money had but little 
value. Paper money was issued in such amounts that 
it gradually became entirely worthless. Rev. Stahl- 
schmid complained " that there were thousands of dol- 
lars due him on his salary, but as sixty or seventy 
paper dollars were equivalent to only one silver dollar, 
he could for all this money scarcely procure a new 
coat for himself." Thompson Westcott states that the 
money " had depreciated in some articles as low as 
three thousand per cent." In 1780 the hamlet of 
Campbellstown, Lebanon county, consisting of a few 
small houses and considerable land, was sold to Robert 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



119 



Coleman for $90,000. A writer says : " This seems 
like an extraordinary price, but the currency had de- 
preciated very much at that time, and it is doubtful 
whether a horse could have been purchased with this 
money five years later." 

People were by law compelled to accept the Conti- 
nental money. In]1776 John Baldwin was imprisoned 
in Philadelphia for refusing to accept this kind of 
money. A Mr. Elliot owed him 600 pounds and 
offered to pay him in paper money, but he refused to 
accept it, and for this act he was imprisoned. In 
March of 1777 Stephen Phipps offered to pay a store 
bill with paper money to William Craig in Philadel- 
phia, but Mr. C. refused the money on the ground that 
he had more of that kind of money than he knew what 
to do with. When Mr. Phipps tried to press the paper 
money upon Mr. Craig, he was knocked down. Phipps 
reported his experience to the authorities. We cannot 
say what was the result. Likely Craig was punished. 
Compelling people to accept the worthless money for 
their goods was virtually confiscating their property. 
Sometimes necessity knows' no law. 

We have a similar instance fof depreciated paper 
money in the Southern Confederacy during the Civil 
War. Some time before the collapse of the Confeder- 
acy it took $1000 paper money to purchase a pair of 
boots in Richmond, Va. 



120 



EARLY HISTORY 



26. 

PASTORAL WORK. 

By pastoral work we understand largely the work 
of a minister in families. The Reformed Church has 
always laid much stress upon this part of the minister's 
work. In the year 1752 Rev. Geo. M. Weiss formu- 
lated a set of rules for the government of the Coetus. 
We have no evidence that the rules were ever adopted 
by the Coetus, but there is no doubt that the rule in 
reference to pastoral visitation expresses the views of 
the early Reformed people, and we therefore quote it : 

u That yearly house visitation be maintained in 
every congregation by the pastor and elder thereof, in 
which the people shall be reminded of their Christian 
duty, and be stirred up to improvement of life/' 

In these few words is set forth the right kind of 
pastoral visitation. It will be noticed that it is di- 
rected that an elder .shall accompany the pastor in the 
performance of this work. This work has always been 
an important part of activity in the Reformed Church, 
and wherever it is faithfully practised there are blessed 
results. Of course a vast deal depends upon the faith- 
fulness with which it is performed. We have known 
a considerable number of Reformed ministers whose 
pastoral visits were entirely different from social calls. 
As a rule they conducted a short religious service with 



OF THE EEFOEMED CHUECH. 



121 



the family. It was made known when the pastor 
would come, and the family was prepared when he ar- 
rived. The conversation was of a religious character, 
and the pastor was free to speak about matters of the 
highest concern. There is always a blessing in such 
pastoral visiting. 

But not all pastoral visitation is of this kind. Con- 
ditions are frequently of such a nature that the pastors 
can hardly make anything but a social call. In towns 
and cities it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to 
meet all the members of a family at one time. During 
the day as a rule only the mother and perhaps a few 
small children are at home. Perhaps it will be sug- 
gested that the best time is in the evening. Perhaps 
so ; perhaps not. In most cases the majority of the 
family are also away from home, attending meetings of 
business, lodges, clubs, etc. Those acquainted with 
present day conditions know how difficult is real pas- 
toral work in our cities. In the country it is not 
much easier. During the larger part of the year farm- 
ers are exceedingly busy, and they do not like to be 
interrupted in their work in the fields. It is difficult 
to secure hired help, and time is precious. Then the 
people are scattered over a wide territory, and not 
many calls can be made in a day. In the country a 
call from the pastor is hardly considered such unless 
he remains long enough to take a meal with the family. 

Then again some ministers do not attach much im- 
portance to family visitation. Where it is practised, 
it is in many instances coupled with business. We re- 
member one minister not living who some years ago 
9 



122 



EARLY HISTORY 



readily agreed to accompany the writer in canvassing 
for the church paper, because he said he could at the 
same time attend to his pastoral visitation. We called 
at the residences of most of the families in his charge, 
but in some instances we found no one at home, and in 
many others we saw only the head of the family in the 
field or in the baru, and yet the minister called it pas- 
toral visitation. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



123 



27. 

PERQUISITES. 

By the term perquisites in the case of a minister 
we understand voluntary fees given him for marriages 
and funerals, besides what he receives as regular sal- 
ary. He must never demand fees for such services,* 
but he is plainly entitled to them, especially in case of 
funerals. Frequently a minister must hire a convey- 
ance to attend a funeral, and it is only just that he 
should be paid for his time and expenses. But there 
is danger that the perquisites may become a snare to 
the minister. A minister once complained to the 
writer because he had so few funerals. We know of a 
minister who advertises his services for baptism, mar- 
riages and funerals. He states that his charges are 
reasonable. This appears very improper. Even med- 
ical associations do not allow their members to adver- 
tise beyond their " shingles" at their houses. 

In the very beginning of the Reformed Church in 
Pennsylvania this subject was considered and a rule 
adopted regulating perquisites. At the second meet- 
ing of the Coetus, 1748, it was resolved that a minis- 
ter should expect seven shillings and six pence as a 
marriage fee, and five shillings as a funeral fee. But 
baptisms were to be without any remuneration. 

It was perhaps well that the amounts to be paid 
for these services were thus stipulated, because the 



124 EARLY HISTORY 

ministers were then all poor. Their salaries were very 
small. Many had to work on farms to support their 
families. 

In more modern times there is no stipulation as to 
the amount to be paid in the form of perquisites. That 
is left optional with those concerned. As in the begin- 
ning, ministers are not to be paid a fee for baptisms. 
The constitution of the Reformed Church forbids this. 
But it is proper that people should pay for the certifi- 
cate. It cannot be expected that the minister should 
^give his services free and pay for the certificates be- 
sides. .There must be reason in all things. 

A chapter might be written on the subject of wed- 
ding fees. These vary greatly in amount, according to 
the ability and sense of propriety of bridegrooms. 
Some have undertaken to fool the ministers by giving 
them envelopes containing only pieces of worthless 
paper. This is supposed to be an act of. smartness. 
It is only meanness, and there is nothing smart in 
being mean. 



* 



OF THE EEFOEMED CHUECH. 



125 



28. 

THE INDIAN WAR. 

The Reformed people especially in the counties east 
of the Susquehanna, as well as other people, suffered 
severely during the French and Indian war from 1754 
to 1763. It was a struggle between France and Eng- 
land for the possession of North America. Unfortu- 
nately for our people the French succeeded in enlisting 
many of the Indian tribes for their cause, and these 
barbarians made frequent incursions into Pennsylvania 
and created terrible havoc. Their weapons were prin- 
cipally the tomahawk and the torch. They murdered 
many people and burned their homes. The white peo- 
ple lived scattered, and were mostly without means of 
defense. A number of forts were erected along the 
Blue Mountains and elsewhere which afforded the peo- 
ple some shelter. The history of those years abounds 
in sudden attacks by Indians upon defenseless families. 
Unfortunately the government of Pennsylvania, which 
was largely controlled by Quakers who were opposed 
to war, was quite indifferent in the matter of relieving 
the people. Finally the French were completely de- 
feated and the cruel war ceased. During the Indian 
war 150 white people were killed in Berks county 
alone, whilst 27 others were carried off as prisoners. 

During the war people were always in danger of 
being surprised and shot down by the Indians. Every- 



I 



126 EARLY HISTORY 

body went about armed, not only to their daily toil in 
the fields, but also to church. Thus many men car- 
ried their rifles with them to church, and whilst the 
larger number were in the churches engaged in wor- 
ship, others remained outside on guard against the In- 
dian foes. Such was the case at Hain's church in 
Berks county, Hill church in Lebanon county, and 
other places. Dr. William Hendel, sr., was located at 
Tulpehocken, but he also preached in Lyken's Valley, 
Dauphin county, at the place known as David's church. 
He was accompanied thither by armed men, who stood 
at the door of the church during the service on guard. 
After the service these men accompanied him on his 
way home until he was within the bounds of safety. 
This is the way the people had to worship during the 
continuauce of the Indian war. 

The most distinguished Reformed person during 
the French and Indian wars was Col. Henry Bouquet. 
He was a native of Rolle, Switzerland, and was born 
in 1719. On March 25, 1735, he was received into 
the Reformed church at Rolle. After service in the 
Dutch Republic, etc., he was in 1756 appointed a 
lieutenant colonel by England and sent to America to 
take part in the war against the French and their In- 
dian allies. Rev. Mr. Schlatter was chaplain of Bou- 
quet's Royal American (German Swiss) regiment, and 
was present with him at the capture of Louisburg in 
1757. In 1758 Col. Bouquet accompanied the expe- 
dition to western Pennsylvania against Fort Duquesne, 
now Pittsburg, under Gen. Forbes. Col. Bouquet and 
Col. George Washington commanded the two divisions 



OF THE REFORMED CHUECH. 



127 



of Forbes' army. Bouquet planned the campaign, 
which was successful. The French destroyed Fort Du~ 
quesne and left the place when the British approached. 
The British erected Fort Pitt upon the ruins of the one 
destroyed as above stated. In 1763 Fort Pitt was in 




great danger, and Col. Bouquet was sent to its relief 
with a small army of about 500 men, composed of 
Royal Americans and Scotch Highlanders. At Bushy 
Run, near Harrison City, Westmoreland county, Pa., 
he, on August 5, met the Indians, who at once attacked 



128 



EARLY HISTORY 



the army and fought desperately 'or two days. The 
Indians had the advantage of firing from behind the 
trees, and caused heavy losses to the army. Col. Bouquet 
displayed great courage and wisdom. After a long 
and disatrous fight, Bouquet by the strategy of a seem- 
ing retreat led the Indians into a trap, where they 
were utterly defeated. This great victory disheartened 
the Indians, and they retired beyond the Ohio river, 
and Fort Pitt was relieved. The following year (1764) 
he marched a large army into the Ohio wilderness and 
compelled the Indians to sue for peace and return sev- 
eral hundred captives. 

Col. Bouquet is justly celebrated as the hero of 
Bushy Run. In the battle he had lost about 50 men 
killed and 60 wounded. The king of Great Britain 
and the Assembly of Pennsylvania thanked Bouquet 
for his grand victory, and the king promoted him to 
brigadier general. After the war Col. Bouquet pur- 
chased 4163 acres of land near Hagerstown, Md., and 
expected to settle there. But the British government 
sent him to Pensacola, Florida, in 1765. Unfortu- 
nately he was seized with yellow fever, and died on 
Sept. 2, 1765. His grave is unknown, but it was in- 
side the Pensacola barracks. 

Another prominent Reformed person during the 
Indian war was Rev. John Conrad Bucher. He 
was born at SchafP hausen, Switzerland, June 10, 1730. 
His father was a " Landvogt," and spared no pains to 
give the son a liberal education. The son attended the 
universities of Basel and St. Gall in his native coun- 
try, and also visited other great seats of learning. His 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



129 



" Gedenk Buch" contains the autographs of Zollikof- 
fer, Mosheim and other leading- professors of that time. 
That he became a thoroughly educated man is shown 
by the fact that his sermon outlines contain many 
Greek, Latin and Hebrew references, and that he 
preached in English, French and German. 

John Conrad Bucher came to this country in No- 
vember of 1755, and for some years served as an officer 
in the British army against the French and their In- 
dian allies. He took part in the Forbes expedition to 
Pittsburg in 1758, and afterwards was stationed sev- 
eral years at Carlisle, and in 1760 he was appointed 
lieutenant. In 1761 he was in charge of the transpor- 
tation service at Fort Pitt. In 1763 Bucher took part 
in the expedition under Gen. Bouquet to Pittsburg, 
and in the terrible battle at Bushy Bun, in which the 
Indians were totally defeated. In 1764 he was pro- 
moted to the position of captain. He acted as adju- 
tant of his regiment in the great expedition of General 
Bouquet to the Muskingum river in Ohio, which prac- 
tically ended the Indian war. Peace having been 
gained, Capt. Bucher resigned from the army in 1765, 
after serving about seven years. The officers of the 
Provincial Army Avere entitled to bounty lands, and 
Capt. Bucher received a fine tract in Buffalo Valley. 
This land he exchanged for a property in Lebanon, 
which remained in his family until 1844. 

Mr. Bucher commenced preaching in 1763, whilst 
stationed at Carlisle as a military officer, as is shown 
by his baptismal and marriage records. He appears to 
have officiated at various periods whilst an officer in 



130 



EARLY HISTORY 



the army. In 1765, after resigning from the army, he 
became pastor of the Reformed churches at Carlisle, 
Chambersburg, Middletown and Hurnmelstown. After 
having preached several years, he was ordained by 
order of the Coetus in 1766. In 1768 Rev. Mr. 
Bucher removed to Lebanon and occupied his own 
property. He now supplied many congregations in 
various directions, his appointments being in Lancas- 
ter, Lebanon, Berks, Dauphin, Cumberland and Frank- 
lin counties. He supplied Reading for some time in 
1769 and 1770. He was one of the most active and # 
influential Reformed ministers of his day. 

During the Revolution Rev. Mr. Bucher served as 
chaplain of the Pennsylvania German regiment, which 
w T as composed of soldiers from the German counties. 
He was then already suffering from heart trouble. In 
the early part of 1777 he had been away from his regi- 
ment on leave of absence. On May 4, 1777, Baron 
von Arnt, the colonel of the regiment, ordered Mr. 
Bucher to join the regiment without delay. 

Rev. Mr. Bucher's useful career came to a sudden 
end in middle life. On August 15, 1780, he went to 
Annville to perform a marriage ceremony, and in the 
midst of the festive occasion he suddenly died of heart 
failure, at the age of 50 years, 2 months and 5 days. 
The people held him in such high esteem that they 
would not allow his body to be conveyed to his home 
in a vehicle, but, securing a bier, devout men carried it 
on their shoulders to his home in Lebanon. On August 
17, 1780, he was buried in the graveyard in the rear of 
the First Reformed church in Lebanon, Pa. One of 
his descendants was the late Dr. Thos. C. Porter, a 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



131 



well-known Reformed minister and long a professor in 
Lafayette College. Rev. Mr. Bucher was married on 
February 26, 1760, to Mary Magdalena Hoke, of Car- 
lisle. Six children were born to them, two of whom 
died in infancy. Singularly the three sons were named 
John Jacob, John George and John Conrad, whilst the 
daughter was named Mary Elizabeth. 

Space forbids, us to refer to many of the bloods 
deeds of the Indians during the war. On July 5, 
1757, seven persons were buried at the Tulpehocken 
church who had been murdered in one house the day 
before. On the day of this funeral a number of people 
were attacked in Greenwich township, Berks county, 
and four of them killed and six others scalped. 

On July 26, 1764, a number of Indians surprised 
a school, consisting of Enoch Brown, the teacher, and 
eleven children, in a log school house near Greencastle, 
Franklin county, Pa. The teacher and ten children 
were killed, whilst one boy was scalped, but escaped 
and recovered. He lived many years. All the victims 
were buried in a common grave. In 1885 a monu- 
ment was erected on the site of the fatal school house 
and another on the grave. The work was accomplished 
largely through the efforts of Rev. C. Cort, D. D., of 
the Reformed Church, who griso dedicated the monu- 
ments. Dr. Cort also compiled a volume on the life 
and labors of Col. Bouquet. 

On Nov. 24, 1755, a number of Indians surprised 
the settlement at Gnadenhutten, now Lehighton, Pa., 
and murdered eleven persons. A few others escaped. 
The bodies of those murdered were buried in one grave. 
A monument marks their resting place. 



132 



EARLY HISTORY 



29. 

REFORMED PATRIOTS. 

There were no more ardent supporters of the move- 
ment for American liberty than the Pennsylvania Ger- 
mans, both ministers and people. Already in 1775, a 
year before American independence was declared, the 
Reformed and Lutheran people of Philadelphia united 
with the German Society of that city in a circular in 
which liberty from the oppression of England was de- 
manded. This circular breathed the spirit of inde- 
pendence. The appeal had a marked effect upon the 
German people against England. It went a great 
way to prepare the German people for the great 
struggle. 

As far as we know, all the Reformed ministers in 
Pennsylvania were loyal patriots and active supporters 
of the American cause during the Revolution. Some 
were made to suffer for their patriotism. 

Rev. Michael Schlatter was arrested and impris- 
oned in Philadelphia, anti his home at Chestnut Hill 
despoiled. 

Dr. Casper D. Weyberg, during the Revolution 
pastor of the Reformed congregation in Philadelphia, 
was also imprisoned and his church used as a hospital. 
After the withdrawal of the British from the city his 
first sermon was preached on the text : " O God ! the 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



133 



heathen have come into thine inheritance ; thy holy 
temple have they defiled." It cost over $15,000 to 
repair the church. Of coarse the money was then 
greatly depreciated, and that sum in 1778 repre- 
sented not more than $5000. It is stated that Dr. 
Weyberg was imprisoned because of his fearless preach- 
ing in favor of the Americans, which had a bad effect 
upon the hired Hessians in the British army. 

Rev. John H. Weikel, pastor of Boehm's church in 
Montgomery county, got into trouble by preaching at 
the beginning of the war on the text : " Better is a 
poor and wise child than an old and foolish king who 
will no more be admonished." Eccles. 4 : 13. This 
sermon was of course directed against the king of Eng- 
land. It caused great excitement, and led to the pas- 
tor's resignation. Mr. Weikel afterwards frequently 
discharged his pistol close to the head of his horse to 
train him for service in the army, if necessary. He 
was warmly attached to the cause of freedom. 

Rev. Philip Jacob Michael, the supposed founder 
of the Reformed church in Reading, was serving a 
large country charge when the Revolution broke out. 
In 1774 he resigned his charge and entered the army. 
In 1777 he was appointed chaplain of the first battalion 
of the Berks county militia. After the war he resumed 
the ministry in some of his former congregations, one 
of which was Longs wamp, where he died in 1785. 

One of the most ardent patriots and the most severe 
sufferer among the Reformed ministers was Rev. J. W. 
G. Nevelling. He was a cousin of Dr. Weyberg, and 
came to this country in company with the wife of Dr. 



134 



EARLY HISTORY 



Weyberg, he having preceded his wife to America. At 
the beginning of the Revolution Nevelling was pastor 
at Ainwell, IRew Jersey. He joined the army and 
served as chaplain. As a rule ti e ministers were poor, 
and many very poor. Mr. levelling was an excep- 
tion. He was possessed of a good deal of property. 
As a true patriot he converted all his property into 
money, amounting to about §12,000, which was a large 
sum at that time, and loaned the whole amount to the 
government. The only security he received was a 
certificate of Congress. Unfortunately he was in some 
way defrauded out of the certificate and lost all his 
possessions. This was doubly unfortunate, because 
soon after the war he was disabled from preaching, and 
spent the balance of his long life in great affliction and 
poverty. After the close of the war Rev. Mr. level- 
ling became pastor of the Reformed church in Reading, 
Pa., in 1782. In 1783 he reported 1000 families, 12 
baptisms, 10 confirmed and 75 children in the parochial 
school. It is stated that he was a man of noble pres- 
ence and commanding pulpit talent. But Mr. level- 
ling had hardly been in Reading a year, apparently 
very successful in his work, when his useful ministry 
was cut short by a sad accident. One day, as he was 
riding on horseback, probably to one of his country 
congregations, with a pipe in his mouth, the horse 
stumbled and fell, pushing the stem of the pipe so vio- 
lently into Mr. Nevelling's throat that it injured his 
vocal organs and permanently disabled him from 
preaching again. Thus he was cut off in the prime of 
his life, and after a few years paralysis lamed him 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



135 



completely. Some years later he also became blind. 
Henceforth he remained a helpless invalid for more 
than sixty years ! Thus this patriotic man was speech- 
less, paralyzed, blind and poor ! By the earnest efforts 
of his brethren in the ministry he and his large family 
were kept from starvation. This noble patriot and 
champion of American liberty, ready to sacrifice all his 
possessions for the cause of his country, died as a very 
old man of 94 years in Philadelphia on January 18, 
1844. We know no similar case in the Reformed min- 
istry of such long, severe and patient suffering. The 
Coetus aided him as much as it could with" its scanty 
means. In 1789 it gave him £7 10s. In its report to 
Holland the Coetus in 1790 states that " Mr. Nevelling 
is still in very wretched circumstances, and a burden 
to us." 

During the Revolution Rev. J. C. A. Helffenstein 
was pastor of the Reformed church at Lancaster. A 
number of Hessian prisoners were kept there, and he 
frequently preached to them. On one occasion he took 
as his text Isaiah 52 : 3, " Ye have sold yourselves for 
nought, and ye shall be redeemed without money." On 
another occasion he preached on these words : " If the 
Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." 
These sermons produced much excitement among the 
Hessians, as well as the other people. 

Rev. Abraham Blumer was the pastor of Zion's 
Reformed church in Allentown. When the British 
army was approaching Philadelphia in 1777 the cele- 
brated Liberty Bell on Independence Hall was re- 
moved to Allentown and hid under the floor in Zion's 



136 



EARLY HISTORY 



church. It was hauled by John Jacob Mickley, a 
member of the Reformed Church. After the British 
had evacuated Philadelphia, the bell was returned to 
its original place, where it remains to this day. On its 
way to Allentown the wagon broke down, but the bell 
was not injured. Some time after it had been re- 
turned it was cracked and its usefulness ended, but it 
has ever since been kept as a sacred relic in Indepen- 
dence Hall, Philadelphia. 

As far as we know, all the members of the Re- 
formed Coetus were favorable to the American cause. 
Two others, Rev. John M. Kern, of New York, and 
Rev. John J. Zubly, of Georgia, held to England, and 
both lost their usefulness and had to leave their pas- 
toral charges. Kern went to Halifax, but returned to 
Pennsylvania in 1788 and died soon after in Bucks 
county. Zubly was a member of the Colonial Con- 
gress until a short time before the adoption of the 
Declaration of Independence, when he left the body 
and returned to Georgia. Had he remained he would 
have been one of the signers of the Declaration of In- 
dependence. He vainly tried to prevent Georgia from 
uniting with the movement for American independence. 
He was banished and one-half of his property was con- 
fiscated. When the British captured Savannah in 
1779, Zubly returned thither and remained there until 
his death in 1781. Rev. John C. Rubel is also said to 
have been a Tory. He was deposed in 1784. 

One of the most prominent Reformed ministers 
during the Revolution was Dr. F. L. Herman, the 
father of five Reformed ministers. In 1793 he was 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



137 



pastor at Germantown at the time when the yellow 
fever prevailed in Philadelphia. Gen. Washington 
left the city and resided several months in the family 
of Dr. Herman. The general frequently attended ser- 
vices in the Reformed church, when the services were 
held in English by Rev. Dr. Smith, of the Falls of 
Schuylkill, according to the statement of Mr. Watson. 
It is also stated that on one occasion he received the 
communion from the hands of Dr. Herman. After the 
death of Washington a memorial service was held in 
the Reformed church in Philadelphia. 

Not only were the 'ministers loyal to the American 
cause, with few exceptions, but also practically the en- 
tire membership of the Reformed Church. The Con- 
tinental army contained many members of the Church, 
especially from Pennsylvania. 

Perhaps the most efficient Reformed officer during 
the Revolution was Baron de Steuben, a member of the 
German Reformed church in New York, whose pastor 
then was Rev. John Daniel Gross. He was a native 
of Magdeburg, Germany, and was an efficient officer in 
the Prussian army. He came to America on Nov. 1, 
1777, and offered his services to Congress. They were 
readily accepted, and he was assigned to the army un- 
der Gen. Washington at Valley Forge. The army 
was poorly clad and disheartened. Baron Steuben set 
to work to reorganize the army and drilled the men 
almost constantly. He said it was good for them, as it 
kept them from freezing. Gen. Steuben commanded a 
division in several battles and rendered excellent ser- 
vice, especially at Yorktown, Va., the last and decisive 
10 



138 



EARLY HISTORY 



battle of the Revolution, where the entire British army 
was captured. After the war-Gen. Steuben resided in 
New York, where he served as an elder in the Re- 
formed congregation. In his last years Congress made 
him a grant of land near LJtica, N. Y., as an apprecia- 
tion of his valuable services. The American people 
ever held him in grateful remembrance. 

Gen. Nicholas Herkimer, a member of the German 
Reformed church in New York, commanded the 800 
Americans in the battle at j|Oriskany, New York, in 
1777, and was mortally wounded. The battle with 
the Indians and Tories lasted several hours, and was 
fought with great desperation amid a furious thunder- 
storm. Each side lost one-third of its men, but the 
Americans maintained the field. Considering the num- 
ber of men engaged, the battle of Oriskany is regarded 
the most desperate andjbloody one fought during the 
Revolution. Gen. Herkimer was a Reformed Palatine 
and came to America in 1722. This German victory 
at Oriskany is further memorable from the fact that 
here for the first time in military service the stars and 
stripes, adopted by Congress seven weeks before, were 
hoisted. They had been improvised from a soldier's 
shirt, an old blue military cloak and some strips of red 
flannel from the petticoat of a soldier's wife. 

The Reformed Church in Reading and Berks coun- 
ty furnished many heroic officers and men for the Con- 
tinental army. We will mention some of the promi- 
nent officers. 

Col. George Nagel, of Reading, raised the first com- 
pany in Berks county for the army. This company 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



139 



marched to Boston, reaching there July 18, 1775, a 
few days after the siege of the city by the Americans. 
He continued in active service until 1783, rising to the 
rank of colonel. He had also been an officer in the 
Indian war until its close in 1763. Col. Nagel was 
born about 1728 in Germany, and came to Reading in 
1755. He was married to a daughter of Mordecai 
Lincoln of Exeter township, an ancestor of Abraham 
Lincoln. He died in 1789. 

Capt. Peter Nagel, brother 
of the above, was also born 
in Germany, in 1750. Dur- 
ing the Revolution he was a 
captain in the army from 
1777 to 1783. He also held 
several civil offices — justice 
of the peace, coroner and 
county treasurer. In 1794 
he gave a reception to Gen. 
Washington in his home on 
the site of the present post ^J) 
office in Reading. He died JV4A&r- 
Nov. 30, 1834. Mr. Wm. 
N. Coleman, of Reading, who died on June 3, 1906, 
aged 87 years, was a grandson of Capt. Peter Nagel. 

Col. Henry Haller was a well-known tailor in 
Reading in 1765. He was a member of the Provincial 
Conference in June, 1776. On June 14 of that year 
he was appointed by the Executive Council to solicit 
subscriptions in Berks county for a loan of twenty mil- 
lion dollars to Congress. He was active in organizing 





140 



EARLY HISTORY 



the Berks county regiment of the " Flying Camp," and 
was made its colonel. He served in the army in New 
Jersey, and afterward was a member of the Assembly 
from 1776 to 1781. He died in Schuylkill county in 
1793. 

Col. Nicholas Lotz was a native of the Palatinate, 
being born Feb. 20, 1740, and came to Reading as a 
young man. He was a member of the Provincial Con- 
ference in Carpenter Hall in 
June of 1776, and afterwards 
was prominent as an officer 
in the army. He became a 
lieutenant colonel, and took 
part in the battle of Long Is- 
land, where he was taken 
prisoner. In 1780 he was 
made Commissioner of For- 
age and purchased vast quan- 
tities of supplies for the army. 
He advanced large amounts 
of money for the government, 
but was never fully repaid. 
Col. Lotz served also in 
the Assembly and as associate judge. In 1794 he 
aided in arranging for the military parade in honor of 
Gen. Washington in Reading. He died Nov. 29, 1807. 

Capt. Jacob Bower served as first lieutenant in the 
company of Col. Benjamin Weiser, a son of the noted 
Conrad Weiser. He was promoted to captain, and 
served until the close of the war in 1783. After 1800 
he removed from Reading to Womelsdorf, where he 
died August 3, 1818. 




OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



141 



Daniel Rose was a well-known clock maker in 
Reading, and took an active part in the Revolution. 
Like Capt. Peter Nagel, Daniel Rose also entertained 
Gen. Washington in 1794. The chair in which Wash- 
ington sat on the occasion is still preserved. 

All of the above persons — George and Peter Nagel, 
Nicholas Lotz, Henry Haller, Jacob Bower and Daniel 
Rose — were prominent members of the Reformed 
church in Reading. Their names appear frequently as 
members of the consistory. That of Jacob Bower is 
distinguished by its large, bold appearance. The min- 
utes of the consistory were usually signed by all the 
members. The two Nagels, Nicholas Lotz, as well as 
Gov. Joseph Hiester, were buried in the graveyard at 
the Reformed church in Reading. Many years after- 
ward their bodies were removed to Charles Evans' 
cemetery. Henry Haller and Jacob Bower were bur- 
ied in their new homes after removing from Reading. 

Probably the most prominent Reformed family in 
Berks county during the Revolution was the Hiester 
family. The most prominent member of this family 
was Joseph Hiester, son of John Hiester, who came 
here from Germany in 1732 and located in Bern town- 
ship. The son Joseph was a member of the Provincial 
Conference in June, 1776. Upon his return home, 
being full of the spirit of patriotism, he on July 10 
called a meeting with the beat of the drum and raised 
a company for the " Flying Camp." He laid $40 
upon a drumhead to be given to the first man who 
would enlist. Matthias Babb quickly signed his name 
and took the money. Ninety-six men enlisted, and 



142 



EARLY HISTORY 



Mr. Hiester was made captain. He and his company 
took part in the battle of Long Island, where the Ger- 
mans stood the brunt of the battle. Capt. Hiester and 
many of his men were taken prisoners, and suffered 
many hardships, together with Col. Nicholas Lotz, Col. 
Peter Kichline and many others. In December, 1776, 
the prisoners were exchanged. Capt. Hiester was ill 
with fever. Upon recovery he joined Washington's 

army. Subsequently he 
raised 650 men and 
marched them to join Gen. 
Read's army in New Jer- 
sey. He served in the 
army until the close of 
the war. Afterward he 
filled various positions of 
honor He was a mem- 
ber of the Assembly and 
of the Constitutional Con- 
vention in 1789, and in 
1790 the first state sena- 
tor from Berks county. 
In 1797 he was sent to 
Congress, and was afterward re-elected five times. In 
1815 he was again elected to Congress, and twice re- 
elected. In 1820 Mr. Hiester was elected governor of 
the state. During his term of office he traveled be- 
tween Eeading and Harrisbnrg in a packet boat on the 
Union Canal. He died on June 10, 1832. He was 
highly respected and very popular. It is said that 
during many years he and his fellow soldiers sat 
together during services in the First Reformed church. 




OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



143 



Gabriel Hiester, a cousin of the above, was born in 
Bern township in 1749, and attended the parochial school 
at the Bern church. He was a delegate from Berks coun- 
ty to the Provincial Constitutional Convention in July, 
1776. He was afterward made a judge of the common 
pleas court of this county, and served eight years in 
the Assembly, and also as state senator. He died in 
1824. Gabriel was a brother of Col. Daniel Hiester, 
of Montgomery county, and of Col. John Hiester, of 
Chester county. 

Gen. Daniel Udree was an ironmaster of Oley and 
a member of the Oley Reformed church. He was 
born in Philadelphia in 1751. He was the owner of 
2700 acres of land. In 1777 he was made colonel of 
the county militia, and took part in the battle of 
Brandy wine, where his horse was shot under him. He 
was a member of the Assembly from 1799 to 1805, 
and twice a member of Congress. In the War of 1812 
he was a major-general. In 1823 he erected a stone 
grist mill at Oley furnace, which is still in operation. 
Some time after the organization of the Oley congrega- 
tion Gen. Udree presented it with a part of a pewter 
communion service, which is still in possession of the 
people. He died suddenly on July 15, 1828, and was 
buried at the Oley church. 

John Lesher was a native of Germany, was born 
in 1711, came to Pennsylvania in 1734, and located in 
Oley, at the present village of Spangsville, where he 
established a forge, which he conducted some fifty 
years. He was a member of the Oley Reformed 
church, and in 1742 donated the land upon which the 



144 



EAELY HISTORY 



church was erected. He was a member of the Consti- 
tutional Convention in 1776 and of the Assembly from 
1776 to 1782. During the Revolution he was one of 
the commissioners for the purchase of supplies. He 
contributed largely of his private means for the sup- 
port of the war. Mr. Lesher died on April 5, 1794, 
aged 83 years, and was buried on the farm of Ezra 
Eevan, near Friedensburg. The large stone dwelling 
erected by him is still standing and now owned by Mr. 
Jacob Specht. The house is most peculiarly located. 
It stands against a steep hill. Originally the road 
passed along the base of the hill, from which people 
entered the basement on even ground. After the 
abandonment of the forge the road was transferred to 
the top of the hill, and now there is a gangway leading 
from the road into the attic of the house. 

Daniel Hunter was another prominent member of 
the Oley Reformed church. His name was originally 
Jager, but was translated into English. His parents 
came from Germany, and were among the early settlers 
of Oley. Daniel was born on April 8, 1742. He rep- 
resented his county in the Provincial Conference in 
June, 1776, and also in the Constitutional Convention 
in July following. He was a paymaster of the militia. 
In 1777 he commanded a regiment of militia, first at 
Trenton, then about the Brandywine. He was a mem- 
ber of the Assembly in 1782. Whilst in the latter ser- 
vice he became ill and died on February 3, 1783, at 
the early age of 41 years. He was buried at Oley 
church, where a monument marks his resting place. 
His descendants are numerous in Berks county. His 



i 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



145 



sister Catharine was the wife of the well-known Balser 
Geehr. 

The Tulpehocken region furnished its share of Re- 
formed patriots. Among these were the Spyker broth- 
ers, Benjamin and Peter. Their father, John Peter 
Spyker, came here from Eorope in 1738 and took up a 
large tract in Tulpehocken township. Benjamin Spyk- 
er, a son, was born in the Palatinate in 1723. He 
took part in the Indian war. He was a neighbor and 
intimate friend of Conrad Weiser. In 1776 he repre- 
sented Berks county in the Provincial Conference and 
in the Constitutional Convention. He served long as 
justice of the peace, and died in 1802, aged nearly 80 
years. — Peter Spyker, brother of the above Benjamin, 
was appointed one of the judges of Berks county in 
1763, and continued in this office until his death in 
1789, a period of 26 years. He was the principal judge 
of the county during the Revolution. He was also a 
justice of the peace in Tulpehocken township from 
1777. — Henry Spyker, son of Judge Peter Spyker, and 
nephew of Benjamin Spyker, was colonel of the Sixth 
Battalion, and was at the head of the militia in the 
western section of the county until 1783. In the fall 
of 1777 he took part in the battle of Germantown, 
where he was wounded. Col. Sypker was paymaster 
of the militia of Berks county from August, 1777, until 
the close of the war. It is stated that he handled 
about $600,000 of money and accounted for every 
penny which passed through his hands. In 1797 he 
removed to Lewisburg, Pa., where he died on July 1, 
1817. There are still some Spyker descendants in the 




146 



EAELY HISTORY 



Tulpehocken region, but they now spell their name 
Speicher. 

Valentine Eckert was another Reformed patriot of 
Tulpehocken. He was a native of Hanover, Germany, 
came to America in 1741 and settled near Womels- 
dorf. In June of 1776 he was one of the ten members 
from Berks county in the Provincial Conference. In 
July of the same year he was also one of the eight 
members in the Constitutional Convention. From 
1776 to 1779 he was a member of the Assembly. He 
commanded a company of cavalry and took part in the 
battle of Germantown in 1777, where he was wounded. 
Afterward he was a commissioner to purchase supplies 
for the army. In 1784 he was appointed judge of the 
county court, and served seven years. About 1816 he 
removed to Virginia, and died at Winchester in De- 
cember, 1821, aged 88 years. 

The people in the Tulpehocken region in Berks 
county were ardent supporters of the cause of Ameri- 
can freedom. The Reformed Hain's church was or- 
ganized about 1730 by Palatines who had come from 
Schoharie, N. Y. Over the door of their church they 
placed a stone with this inscription : 

"Alle, die hier gehen aus und ein, 
Sollen Gott und dem Konig unterthan sein." 

This couplet indicates their loyalty to England. 
But during the Revolution their sentiments had been 
changed, and the inscription had become an eyesore. 
A certain Mr. Ruth declared : " That king must come 
out." He procured a chisel and hammer and effaced 
the word king. In this mutilated form the inscription 
remains to this day. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



147 



One of the most prominent members of the Re- 
formed church in Philadelphia during his early life 
was Mr. Michael Hillegas. His father of the same 
name had been a prosperous merchant, and was one of 
the charter members of the Reformed church in that 
city. The son inherited the father. He took a promi- 
nent part in the struggle for American freedom. When 
the colonies organized for defense Mr. Hillegas was 
on July 25, 1775, elected treasurer, and served contin- 
uously during the Revolution and afterward in this 
position until Sept. 2, 1789, when the Treasury De- 
partment was established by Congress. He advanced 
large amounts of money to pay the soldiers in the 
army. He rendered the most valuable services to his 
country during the most critical period. The honor 
for this great work has nearly always been given to 
Robert Morris. Some time after his marriage Mr. 
Hillegas united with the Episcopal Church. 

The Reformed church at Lebanon furnished at least 
three prominent patriots for the Revolutionary army — 
Rev. John Conrad Bucher, the pastor, who served as 
chaplain of the noted German Regiment. He had 
been very active as an officer in the Indian war from 
1758 to 1765. (See Chapter on Indian War, page 128.) 
The two others were Gen. John Philip De Haas and 
Hon. John Gloninger. 

John Philip De Haas was born in Holland about 
1735, and came early with his parents to this country. 
He was one of the founders of the Reformed congrega- 
tion at Lebanon and a prominent officer of the same. 
Whilst a young man he became an officer in the In- 



148 



EARLY HISTORY 



diau war in 1757. He rose rapidly. In 1760 he was 
made captain and in 1764 major. In 1763 he took 
part in the Bouquet expedition to Pittsburg, and shared 
in the land grants in Clinton county. In June, 1764, 
Major De Haas was in charge of Fort Henry, an im- 
portant fort at Swatara Gap in Lebanon county. Dur- 
ing the Revolution he took an active part in the cause 
of the Americans. In 1775 he took part in the unsuc- 
cessful campaign to Canada. In January, 1776, Con- 
gress elected Major De Haas colonel of the First Penn- 
sylvania Battalion. This command took part in the 
battle of Long Island. In 1777 Col. De Haas was 
promoted by Congress to Brigadier General. He 
served until the close of 1778, and in 1779 removed to 
Philadelphia, where he died on June 3, 1786. He was 
a brave and efficient officer. (A deed made to the Re- 
formed congregation in Lebanon in 1765 is witnessed 
by I. C. De Haas.) Gen. De Haas had a son named 
John Philip De Haas, who was also an officer in the 
Revolution, and is at times confounded with the father. 
The son located upon his father's land in Clinton coun- 
ty, and died there in 1821. 

The Gloninger family was prominent in the Re- 
formed church at Lebanon from its beginning. One of 
these was John Gloniuger, son of Philip and Barbara 
Gloninger. He was born in 1758 in Lebanon town- 
ship. When the Revolution broke out he was made a 
sub-altern officer. Toward the close of the war he was 
in command of a battalion of militia. In 1785 he was 
made lieutenant. He filled various positions — As- 
sembly man, State Senator, Associate Judge of Dau- 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



149 



phin county and afterward of Lebanon county, etc. 
He was a man of great influence and highly respected. 
He died in 1836, aged 77 years. One of his sons, 
Philip, was a Reformed minister, born in 1788 and 
died in 1816, aged 28 years. His early death was 
caused by a cold which he contracted in wading through 
the Swatara creek to meet an appointment. All of 
these four Gloningers are buried at the First church in 
Lebanon. The Gloninger family continued to be 
prominent in the Reformed Church until recent years, 
but has nearly died out. 

Col. Peter Kichlein was one of the founders of the 
Reformed church of Easton. He was born in Heidel- 
berg, Germany, Oct. 8,1722. He came to this coun- 
try with his father, Sept. 21, 1742. In 1749 he set- 
tled at the Forks of the Delaware, the site of Easton. 
He took an active part in the Indian war, and occu- 
pied the position of colonel. Subsequently he occu- 
pied various public positions, as sheriff of Northamp- 
ton county for ten years, member of the Colonial As- 
sembly, member of the Committee of Safety, etc. 
When the Revolution broke out he was one of the first 
to take up arms for the American cause. In 1775, 
when a regiment was organized in Northampton coun- 
ty, composed almost exclusively of Germans, Peter 
Kichlein was elected colonel. This regiment did the 
most heroic fighting in the battle of Long Island, and 
was almost annihilated. It withstood the onslaught of 
superior -numbers with great heroism. The battle was 
fought on the territory now included in the cily of 
Brooklyn. After nearly all his men had been killed 



150 



EARLY HISTORY 



or wounded, and himself being wounded, Col. Kichlein 
was taken prisoner with over 1000 other Americans, 
mostly wounded. Later the prisoners were exchanged 
and taken to the Reformed church in Easton. Col. 
Kichlein was a brave officer. He died on Nov. 27, 
1789, aged 67 years, 1 month and 22 days. He had 
been in the public service during thirty-four years. 
He was an elder in the Reformed Church and a devout 
Christian. 

Col. Fred. Antes, of Pottstown, was one of the 
ardent Reformed patriots. He was born in Frederick 
township in 1730. He was a member of the Provin- 
cial Conference in Carpenter Hall, Philadelphia, June 
1776, and of the Pennsylvania Assembly of the same 
year. He was very active in arousing the people to 
action, and became a lieutenant colonel. Gen. Howe, 
the British commander, offered £200 for the capture of 
Col. Antes, dead or alive. This offer induced great 
efforts for his arrest. On one occasion, while- visiting 
his home, he eluded his pursuers only by flight through 
a back door. In 1777 he was appointed as one of sev- 
eral persons to sign an issue of $200,000 of paper 
money. This was considered a great honor. After 
the war Col. Antes removed from Pottstown. In 1801 
he was a commissioner to explore the Susquehanna 
river. He took a severe cold at Columbia and re- 
paired to Lancaster, where he died on Sept. 20, 1801. 
He was buried in the Reformed graveyard in Lancas- 
ter. His two brothers, William and John Henry, 
were also active supporters of the war for independence. 



OF THE EEFOEMED CHUECH. 



151 



30. 

THE COETUS AND GEN. WASHINGTON. 

Following is a copy of the letter which the Re- 
formed Coetus addressed to Gen * George Washington 
after his elevation to the Presidency of the United 
States. Washington was inaugurated on April 30, 
1789. The Coetus met on June 10 and 11, same year, 
in Philadelphia, and appointed a committee to draft a 
letter to the first President of the United States, con- 
sisting of Revs. Weyberg, Gross and Blumer, and 
Elders Col. Farmer, Grosscup and Arend. The letter 
was delivered in the following September, and is as 
follows : 

To\the President of the United States : 

The address of the ministers and elders of the Ger- 
man Reformed Church in the United States, at their 
general meeting, held at Philadelphia, the 10th of 
June, 1789. 

Whilst the infinite goodness of Almighty God, in 
His gracious providence over the people of the United 
States of America, calls for our sincerest and most cor- 
dial gratitude to Him that ruleth supremely, and or- 
dereth all things, in heaven and earth, in unerring wis- 
dom and righteousness, the happy and peaceable estab- 
lishment of the new government over which you so 
deservedly preside cannot fail but inspire our souls 
with new and most lively emotions of adoration, praise 
and thanksgiving to His holy name. 



152 



EARLY HISTORY 



As it is our most firm purpose to support iu our 
persons a government founded in justice and equity, so 
it shall be our constant duty to impress the minds of 
the people entrusted to our care with a due sense of the 
necessity of uniting reverence to such a government 
and obedience to its laws with the duties and exercises 
of religion. Thus we hope, by the blessing of God, to 
be, in some measure, instrumental in alleviating the 
burden of that weighty and important charge to which 
you have been called by the unanimous voice of your 
fellow citizens, and wTiich your love to your country 
has constrained you to take upon you. 

Deeply possessed of a sense of the goodness of God 
in the appointment of your person to the highest sta- 
tion in the national government, we shall continue, in 
our public worship and all our devotions before the 
throne of grace, to pray that it may please God to 
bless you in your person, in your family, and in your 
government, with all temporal and spiritual blessings 
in Christ Jesus. 

Signed by order of the meeting, 

Wm; Hendel, p. I Praeses. 

F. Dellicker, p. t. Scriba. 

THE PRESIDENT'S REPLY. 

I am happy in concurring with you in the senti- 
ments of gratitude and piety towards Almighty God 
which are expressed with such fervency of devotion in 
your address, and in believing that I shall always find 
in you and the German Reformed congregations in the 
United States a conduct corresponding to such worthy 
and pious expressions. At the same time I return you 
my thanks for the manifestation of your firm purpose 
to support in your persons a government founded in 
justice and equity, and for the promise that it will be 
your constant duty to impress the minds of the people 
entrusted to your care with a due sense of the necessity 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



153 



of uniting reverence to such a government and obe- 
dience to its laws with the duties and exercises of relig- 
ion. Be assured, gentlemen, it is by such conduct very 
much in the power of the virtuous members of the 
community to alleviate the burden of the important 
office which I have accepted, and to give me occasion 
to rejoice in this world for having followed therein the 
dictates of my conscience. Be pleased, also, to accept 
my acknowledgments for the interest you so kindly 
take in the prosperity of my person, family and admin- 
istration. May your devotions before the throne of 
grace be prevalent in calling down the blessings of 
heaven upon yourselves and your country. 

[Signed] George Washington. 



11 



154 



EARLY HISTORY 



31. 

LANGUAGES USED BY COETUS. 

During the time that the Church in Holland exer- 
cised a care over the Reformed Church in Peunsylva- 
nia the Dutch language was principally employed in 
correspondence. Rev\ John P. Boehni, who came here 
in 1720 and did more for the upbuilding of the Church 
than any minister during the early period, was well 
versed in the Dutch language. The same may be said 
of Rev. Michael Schlatter, who came here in 1746 and 
formally organized the Church. He had for some 
time studied in Holland before entering the ministry. 
Their knowledge of the Dutch language was of great 
advantage to these ministers. Both gentlemen of 
course had a still better kuowledge of the German 
language. 

The first and third reports of Rev. Mr. Boehm to 
the Church in Holland, 1734 and 1744, were written 
in Dutch, whilst the one of 1739 was in German. 

The minutes of the Coetus were recorded some- 
times in Dutch and sometimes in German. Those of 
the first meeting in 1747 were in German. In the 
early years the Dutch language was mostly employed in 
recording the minutes, but gradually the German lan- 
guage prevailed. After 1766 the minutes were always 
recorded in German, with the exception of the year 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



155 



1784, when Dutch was employed. Five times these 
minutes were recorded in Latin — 1755, 1756, 1757, 
1758 and 1759. The proceedings of the Coetus were 
at first transmitted to Holland in the Dutch language, 
subsequently in German. The brethren did not like 
the use of the German language, because they naturally 
understood their mother tongue best. It is somewhat 
remarkable that already in 1763 the English language 
is employed in certain action in the case of Rev. Mr. 
Rothenbiihler. Thus four languages were employed 
during the existence of the Coetus in transacting the 
official business of the Reformed Church in Pennsyl- 
vania. 

There are those who still claim that Dutch is a 
derisive term for German. Of course such expressions 
only betray ignorance. We herewith give an example 
of Dutch to enable our readers to judge whether Dutch 
is the same as German. 

In his report of 1744 Rev. John P. Boehm reports 
as follows in Dutch in reference to Falkner Swamp 
congregation : 

De Gemeente te Falkner Schwam heeft een van 
hout wel gebouwde Kerke opgeregt, welke langen tyd 
kan duuren ; maar sy is nog by de sestig pond op 
schuldig. En sy heeft als nog geen woonhuysen, nog 
voor den predicant, nog voor voorlezer. 

English Translation. — The congregation at Falkner 
Swamp has erected a well-built church of wood, which 
will last a long time ; but they are yet about sixty 
pounds in debt. And they have as yet no dwelling 
house, either for the minister or the schoolmaster. 

After the Church had severed her connection with 
the Church in Holland and organized a Synod, the 



156 



EARLY HISTORY 



proceedings were published annually all the way down 
to the present time, but until 1825 only in the German 
language. In that year the Synod resolved to publish 
600 copies of the minutes — 400 in German and 200 in 
English. That was not a large number. At the pres- 
ent time the General Synod publishes 8100 copies of 
its minutes — 6600 in English and 1500 in German. 
The probability is that in the not distant future few, if 
any, German minutes will be printed. 

At the present time the gospel is preached in the 
Reformed Church in four languages — English, Ger- 
man, Hungarian and Bohemian. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



157 



32. 

LANGUAGE QUESTION. 

One of the difficult problems with which the Re- 
formed Church in this country had to wrestle at var- 
ious times was the language question. The Church 
was founded by Germans, and during many years 
there was no trouble, because all the members were 
Germans. All the services were conducted in the Ger- 
man language, and everybody was satisfied. 

The Germans adhered tenaciously to their mother 
tongue, which was only natural, and they were slow to 
yield their position. This strong attachment of the 
Germans to their language was the cause of a good deal 
of opposition to them on the part of the English citi- 
zens. In 1727 some people remonstrated with Gov. 
Keith against the naturalization of the Germans and 
Swiss in Lancaster county, because these people " had 
resolved to speak their own language/' 

But whilst their Church was German, the Re- 
formed people were living under an English govern- 
ment, and many of their neighbors, especially in Phila- 
delphia, were speaking the English language, notably 
the Quakers. Legal matters were transacted in Eng- 
lish. In -the course of time a tendency toward the 
English language began to manifest itself. As the 
years passed on, this tendency increased, especially in 
the towns. And this tendency was the cause of much 
friction and trouble at different places. 



158 



EARLY HISTORY 



It was only natural that the time should come 
when English services in the Reformed Church would 
be demanded. The first formal movement of this 
kind was started in the church in Philadelphia on 
April 2, 1804, when the consistory called a meeting of 
the congregation for May 8 following to ascertain the 
sentiment of the people on the question of having occa- 
sional English preaching. This action was the begin- 
ning of much serious trouble in the congregation. The 
result of the May meeting was a tie vote, and matters 
remained as before. But the agitation for English ser- 
vices was continued, and various petitions came before 
the consistory. In 1805 the matter was brought before 
the Synod, and that body was requested to recommend 
English services on every third Sunday " for the bene- 
fit of those who do not understand the German." The 
Synod evaded the matter, and merely called the atten- 
tion of the congregation to the danger which was 
threatening it. On July 9, 1805, this motion was 
made in the consistory : " Resolved, That as the Board 
of Corporation of the Race street church, and in con- 
formity to the wish of Synod, we will introduce the 
English language into our services, before the congre- 
gation shall be destroyed through strife." (The phrase 
" in accordance with the wish of Synod" is remark- 
able, in view of that body's action as above stated.) 
After an animated discussion the vote was taken, but 
resulted in a tie. Dr. Samuel Helffenstein, the pastor 
and president of the consistory, voted in the negative, 
and the proposition for English services was again 
defeated. 



OF THE REFORMED CHEECH. 



159 



In the following year (1806) both parties appealed 
to the Synod for aid in their troubles. The Synod de- 
clined to have anything to do with the difficulty, be- 
cause both parties had gone to court. Those in favor 
of the English language now withdrew, organized a 
separate congregation, and subsequently united with 
the Dutch Reformed Church. They erected a church 
which was dedicated in 1810. It is claimed that the 
Reformed Church was the first denomination to intro- 
duce the English language in church services. 

The withdrawal of the English members settled the 
question temporarily, but by no means permanently. 
The tendency toward English continued to increase. 
The children of the good old German fathers inclined 
strongly toward the language of the country. In 1817 
the question came up in a new form. The German 
brethren had secured a majority in the consistory and 
summarily dismissed Dr. HelfFenstein, the pastor, be- 
cause he was suspected of being favorable to the Eng- 
lish movement. Dr. H. on the following Sunday 
made a statement of the matter to the congregation, 
and many sided with him. On the next Sunday the 
consistory closed the church against him, and for some 
time the pastor conducted services in the school house. 
The matter was again taken to the court, which or- 
dered the consistory to open the church. 

On the Sunday after the court decision, when Dr. 
Heltfenstein entered the pulpit, the German members 
withdrew and organized a new congregation under the 
name of Salem church. This was in 1817. Thus the 
old mother church had lost two parties, one English, 
the other German, on account of the language question. 



160 



EARLY HISTORY 



After this both languages were used in the Phila- 
delphia congregation. Alternate German and English 
services were introduced, and the plan worked well for 
some years. But the English tendency became stronger 
than ever, and gradually it came to be felt that a city 
church could no longer prosper with both languages. 
The congregation now received few accessions from the 
Fatherland, and was dependent for its increase upon a 
community which was becoming more English every 
year. Therefore one more step was taken in 1828 and 
the German language was dropped. Rev. Charles G. 
Finney, a noted revivalist, was employed to preach 
two English sermons each Sunday. Mr. Finney in his 
autobiography states that he preached many months to 
large congregations. 

The experiences and trials of the Reformed congre- 
gation in Philadelphia were repeated in many other 
places. The language question was of the same nature 
in each case. The English tendency was resisted vig- 
orously for a long time, to the great injury of the con- 
gregations. Many of the most intelligent and pro- 
gressive members left and united with English denom- 
inations. Such was especially the case in Reading. 
Some of the most active members of the Presbyterian 
Church in Reading are the children of Reformed par- 
ents. In this city there was no English preaching 
until 1842, after the resignation of Rev. Wm. Pauli, 
when the consistory resolved to call a minister who 
could preach in both languages. As in Philadelphia, 
the use of both -languages in the course of time no 
longer gave satisfaction in the First church in Reading, 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



161 



and in 1891 the German language was discontinued 
altogether. 

In Lancaster the language question resulted in the 
church being locked against the German members 
about the year 1847. They then held a service in the 
graveyard in the rear of the church. The question 
was solved by the withdrawal of the English members 
and the organization of St. Paul's church. 

As far as the writer knows, Lebanon, Allentown 
and Pottstown are the only towns in Pennsylvania in 
which the German language is still used in the mother 
churches. The use of the mother tongue has been dis- 
continued in the First churches of Philadelphia, Eas- 
ton, Reading, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Pottsville, etc. 



162 



EARLY HISTORY 



33. 

AN EARLY GRAVEYARD. 

Rev. Mr. Boehm reported in 1744 that he and the 
officers of the Philadelphia congregation had secured 
an acre of ground in the city for a burial ground. Un- 
til that time the Reformed people had to bury their 
dead in a negro slave cemetery ! The acre of ground 
was secured for 50 pounds, besides six shillings yearly 
ground rent. The ground would have brought 200 
pounds. But this purchase proved a real burden to 
the people. They could hardly raise the money to pay 
the interest and ground rent on this tract, besides the 
four pounds rent for the building in which they wor- 
shiped. 

This ground was used as a Reformed graveyard until 
1835, when the city council took forcible possession of 
the ground and converted it into a public park known 
as Franklin Square. The congregation was paid $5000 
for the ground. Common council had agreed to pay 
$50,000, but the select branch refused. The tomb- 
stones were laid flat on the ground and covered, and 
the place where the pioneer Reformed of Philadelphia 
were buried is now a beautiful public square in the 
centre of the city. Here are buried Revs. Schlatter, 
Weyberg, Hendel, Steiner, Winkhaus and Rothenbiih- 
ler. The thousands of people passing through the 



OF THE EEFOEMED CHUECH. 



163 



park do not know that they are treading upon sacred 
ground. The act of the city was a gross injustice, but 
the Reformed people were helpless. The matter was 
taken to the Supreme Court, but the result was adverse 
to the Reformed. The $5000 received was used in 
constructing vaults in the church lot on Race street. 

The First Reformed church in Philadelphia is still 
in possession of the original deed from John Penn for 
the above ground. 



164 



EARLY HISTORY 



34. 

MONEY NOT GOING TO THE RIGHT PLACE. 
The Noted Reiff Case. 

A generation and less ago many people in Berks 
county, when asked to contribute for benevolence, re- 
plied : " We would cheerfully give, but the money will 
not get to the right place. You know how it was in 
the case of the collection in Bern church. The preacher 
kept the money." This was of course a lame excuse, 
which was inspired by the evil one. In every instance, 
when this excuse was made, the Bern collection case 
was referred to. It was indeed marvellous that every 
one who was unwilling to contribute had heard of this 
one case. Collections had been lifted regularly in 
hundreds of places, and there was no complaint about 
money not reaching the intended place. This isolated 
instance had to be heralded far and wide. Upon this 
same principle we are told that a lie travels faster than 
the truth. Many people of evil hearts enjoy hearing 
bad reports. 

There was a case in the early history of our Church 
when it took about fifteen years for certain monies to 
reach their intended place, and it was the occasion of 
an unfortunate scandal. We refer to the celebrated 
Reiff case. 

The people at Skippack were poor, and being di- 
vided into two parties, the Weiss party in possession 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



165 



of the church found itself unable to pay for the church 
erected in 1727. Weiss was at the time also pastor in 
Philadelphia, where he had supplanted Boehm the 
same as at Skippack. Therefore Rev. Mr. Weiss and 
Jacob Reiff of Skippack were in 1730 sent to Holland 
to collect money for the congregations at Skippack and 
Philadelphia. They were successful, and collected 
about 2100 florins, or $840. Weiss returned to this 
country early in 1731, but Reiff, who handled the 
money, did not return until the fall of 1732. 

The people at Skippack and Philadelphia eagerly 
awaited his return, because they had heard of his suc- 
cess in collecting. But upon his return Reiff refused 
to account for the money and ignored the matter. The 
result was a controversy, which lasted fifteen years. 
The aid of the civil court was invoked to compel Reiff 
to pay over the money, but this effort was unsuccess- 
ful. Meanwhile Rev. Mr. Weiss, instead of remain- 
ing in Pennsylvania, accepted a call from New York 
state. This made the matter more difficult. Reiff 
claimed to have invested the money in merchandise in 
Europe to be sent to Philadelphia, and insisted that 
the enterprise had been a failure. But he failed to 
state who had received the goods. There was much 
correspondence with the Church in Holland on the 
subject. 

The matter caused much bad blood. Reiff was 
denominated a church robber. Finally he divulged 
something which was quite a revelation to the people, 
and which tended to show there had been others in 
collusion with Reiff. At a meeting of the Philadel- 
phia congregation in 1734, attended by some thirty 



166 



EARLY HISTORY 



persons, Mr. Reiff relieved himself in these words : 
" I confess that I am a church robber, but Dr. Diemer, 
Peter Hillegas and Michael Hillegas are also church 
robbers ! They steal the bread from the mouths of the 
Reformed people of Philadelphia, their children and 
children's children." Reiff then displayed a letter 
which the seven elders in Philadelphia, including the 
above-named three, had written to him while in 
Europe, in which they directed him to purchase goods 
and send the same to them. He was to have six per 
cent, of the profits. He was to do this upon his own 
risk, and they would keep him harmless. 

This was truly a revelation. It is stated that out- 
side of the parties concerned not a member of the con- 
gregation knew anything of the scheme. Reiff claimed 
to have sent the goods to the parties, but they denied 
having received them. How this was, has never been 
explained. Hitherto Reiff had received the blame 
alone, but now the matter assumed a different aspect. 
The cat had been let out of the bag. One result was 
that the elders concerned were removed from office and 
others elected in their place. The matter also caused 
the resignation of the pastor, Rev. John B. Rieger. 
Michael Hillegas was a well-to-do merchant, and the 
father of Michael Hillegas, the first treasurer of the 
United States from 1775 to 1789. 

The unfortunate matter continued in an unsettled 
condition until after Rev. Michael Schlatter came here 
in 1746. He was authorized to settle the unfortunate 
affair, and lost no time in calling Mr. Reiff to account. 
The latter still sought to evade the matter, but when 
he found that he now had to deal with a man of firm- 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



167 



ness, he consented to render an account. He admitted 
having received 2104 florins. But he claimed credit 
for many things ; among others payment for services 
for two years, which, if allowed, would have left the 
Church in debt to him for $40. 

After hearing all the facts in the case, Rev. Mr. 
Schlatter agreed to accept 1000 florins or $400 in full 
settlement. But Mr. Reifl' was unwilling. Mr. Schlat- 
ter finally offered to pay 15 pounds out of his own 
pocket to end the matter. Yet this failed to help the 
affair. Finally it was agreed in 1747 to submit the 
matter to four impartial men, with the understanding 
that if either party should refuse to abide by their 
decision, he should pay a penalty of 2000 pounds. The 
end of the matter was that Reiff paid one hundred 
Spanish pistoles in full settlement. This was equal to 
135 pounds Pennsylvania money, or about $400. 

The committee mentioned above consisted of Thomas 
Lawrence, afterward mayor of the city, Richard P. 
Schildknapeu, Israel Pemberton, jr., and John Reynell. 
After examining the case thoroughly, they decided that 
Mr. Reiff should pay 100 pistoles, or about $400. 
This Mr. Reiff did. The money was thus divided. 
In 1747 $200 was given to the Philadelphia congrega- 
tion, and in 1755 $100 was given to Germantown and 
$100 to Skippack. Thus was this sad affair finally 
closed. It had taken fifteen years to secure a final 
settlement, and twenty-four years until the last part of 
the money was applied. 

This affair, so long a bone of contention, caused 
much bitter feeling and great disappointment. The 



168 



EARLY history 



people had expected a large suin, but after waitiug 
many years received only a little. Rev. Mr. Schlatter 
suffered much on account of it. He was suspected of 
not having dealt fairly, which was not true. He pub- 
lished a statement of the settlement in Saur's paper on 
June 16; 1747, but this did not fully silence the tongue 
of slander. In 1749 the Coetus declared Schlatter's 
innocence. 

The question naturally arises, how can Mr. Reiff' s 
strange action be explained ? He was a well-known 
business man, and allowed his reputation to suffer. 
The aid of the state authorities had been invoked. On 
Sept. 17, 1743, James Logan, Secretary of Pennsyl- 
vania, wrote : " I am informed that the debtor (Reiff ) 
is a rogue." One would think that the amount in- 
volved had been too small for a man of standing to 
allow his reputation to be ruined. It looks very much 
as if Reiff had shielded the elders of Philadelphia, who 
had been in league with him until the meeting in Phil- 
adelphia referred to above. It is significant that Dr. 
Diemer, who had been appointed with Rev. P. H. Dor- 
sius to prosecute Reiff, was very slow in proceeding 
against the delinquent. 

The whole transaction has never been fully cleared 
up. Reiff claimed that by the direction of the Phila- 
delphia elders he had invested the money collected in 
goods in England and sent them to them, but they de- 
nied having received them. Thus the matter became a 
question of veracity which remains unanswered to this 
day. This is all the more strange from the fact that 
the elders whom Reiff accused as being in collusion with 
him were men of standing, especially the two Hillegases. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



169 



35. 

YELLOW FEVER IN PHILADELPHIA. 

In 1793 yellow fever broke out in Philadelphia. 
The mortality was very heavy, and the distress and 
misery great. The scourge was repeated in the follow- 
ing years, but was most severe in 1797 and 1798. 
Many of the people who could do so fled from the city. 
Between the years 1793 and 1799 twelve thousand 
people died of the fever. In 1793 5000 persons died 
of the fever, or one of every five who had remained in 
the city. Numerous persons died in the streets, be- 
cause they could find no shelter. Gov. Mifflin and 
Alexander Hamilton were stricken with the fever, but 
both recovered. 

There were many cases of heroic devotion to duty 
during these trying times. Two Reformed pastors and 
the schoolmaster fell victims to the disease. They 
might have left the city, as did many others, but they 
remained at their posts until death called them away. 
At the first breaking out of the fever Rev. John Henry 
Winkhaus was pastor of the First Reformed church on 
Race street. He commenced his ministry here on 
Sept. 26, 1790. He died of the fever on October 3, 
1793, and was buried in the cemetery which is now 
Franklin Square. He contracted the fatal disease 
while visiting the schoolmaster, who also died of the 
fever. 12 



170 



EARLY HISTORY 



Rev. Mr. Winkhaus' successor in the pastorate of 
the Reformed church was Rev. Wm. Hendel, D. D., a 
venerable and saintly man. " His hair was long and 
white, his countenance serene and heavenly, and his 
whole appearance beautifully venerable and saint-like." 
During the yellow fever scourge which raged in 1798 
Dr. Hendel continued at his post, comforting the sick 
and burying the dead. The city was largely deserted, 
and there were many deaths. It is stated that nearly 
all the pastors had left their people and fled to places 
of safety. Dr. Hendel was at last also stricken with 
the fatal disease, and died on Sept. 29, 1798, and was 
buried in Franklin Square, beside the remains of Revs. 
Schlatter, Stein er, Weyberg and Winkhaus. In 1837 
the city took possession of the cemetery and converted 
it into a public square, now known as Franklin Square. 
The tombstones were laid flat on the earth and covered. 
Thousands of people now pass through the place with- 
out knowing upon what sacred ground they are treading. 

Another noble citizen during the yellow fever epi- 
demics was Stephen Girard, the wealthy founder of 
Girard College, who aided in burying many victims of 
the fever. 

An examination disclosed the fact that the fever 
was caused by Dock creek, a small stream flowing 
through the city, into which a number of tan yards 
and many dwellings were drained. The nuisance was 
abated, and it was also resolved to supply the people 
with water taken from the Schuylkill river. Since 
then the yellow fever never visited Philadelphia. It 
was a great pity that this was not done earlier and 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



171 



thousands of lives saved. A pumping station was 
erected at Chestnut street and water taken from the 
Schuylkill at that point. But if that were done now, 
the probability is that -there would be a worse epidemic 
than was that of yellow fever described above. The 
water at Chestnut street is now as bad and impure as 
water can be. The Schuylkill is now tapped at Fair- 
mount dam, and it is bad enough there. 



172 



EARLY HISTORY 



36. 

EARLY REFORMED SUNDAY SCHOOLS. 

The First Reformed church of Philadelphia has the 
honor of having the oldest Sunday school, not only in 
our Church, but also in the city of Philadelphia. The 
school was organized on April 14, 1806, with forty 
members. We must not think that this was the be- 
ginning of religious instruction in this congregation. 
Before the Sunday school there was during many years 
a parochial school, in which the children received re- 
ligious and secular instruction. We cannot state the 
date when the parochial school was established, but the 
minutes of the consistory show that it was already in 
existence in 1747. (The congregation itself was organ- 
ized in 1728.) The first school house was erected in 
1753-4. The first teacher appears to have been Mr. 
John Barger. The qualifications of the teacher in- 
cluded reading, writing, arithmetic and singing, and he 
had to submit to an examination. He had to be a 
God-fearing, virtuous man, and set a good example to 
the young. He was to teach three hours in the fore- 
noon and three hours in the afternoon, and was to 
open and close each session with " a hearty prayer to 
God for His grace and blessing." It was the duty of 
the teacher to teach the children to pray. He was 'to 
teach them the Lord's Prayer and other prayers, the 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



173 



Ten Commandments, the Articles of the Christian 
Faith, as well as Scripture passages. He was also to 
sing with the children. Those children able to read 
were taught the catechism until they had committed 
all the questions and answers. The pastor of the con- 
gregation was the superintendent of the school, and had 
to be acknowledged as such. Each child was to pay 
five shillings per quarter for instruction. In the case 
of poor children the congregation paid the teacher 
three shillings per quarter from the church treasury. 
The congregation supplemented the income of the 
teacher by eight pounds per year, besides the use of a 
house. The qualifications and duties of the teacher in 
Philadelphia applied to the parochial school teachers 
generally. Besides the duties above enumerated they 
had to serve as organists and leaders of singing in the 
church. 

The Sunday school organized in 1806 had many 
trials. During many years the school was not self- 
supporting, and the congregation had to aid in its sup- 
port. At times the school was greatly reduced in mem- 
bership. In 1847 it had been actually disbanded for a 
short time. When Dr. Bomberger became pastor in 
1854, the school consisted of only three teachers and 
about twenty scholars on account of a secession which 
had occurred a short time previous. But the school 
was soon rein vigo rated, and by 1858 it had increased 
to 250 members. At present the membership is 365. 
The Sunday school was conducted on the old church 
site on Race street, corner of Fourth street, until May, 
1884, when it was removed to the new church at Tenth 



174 



EARLY HISTOEY 



and Wallace streets. The centennial of the school was 
celebrated on Sunday, April 29, 1906. Rev. David 
Van Home, the only surviving former pastor, preached 
the sermon. The services were in charge of the pas- 
tor, Rev. E. F. Wiest. 

As stated above, the first Reformed Sunday school 
in our country was founded in 1806 with forty mem- 
bers. Now there are in the Reformed Church over 
1600 Sunday schools with about 25,000 officers and 
teachers and 200,000 scholars. A large increase in a 
hundred years. 

As far as the writer could ascertain, the next to the 
oldest Sunday school in the Reformed Church is that 
started by Mrs. Maria L. Hertz, wife of Rev. Daniel 
Hertz, in the historic Bethany congregation, near Eph- 
rata, Pa. In the year 1823 or 1824 she gathered the 
children of the neighborhood at the parsonage on every 
Sunday evening and gave them religious instruction. 
After awhile the school was transferred to the church. 
The date of the transfer is not known, but it was before 
1837, as at that time there was a well-organized school 
in the church. This pious lady was the pioneer in the 
Sunday school work in that region. 

The Sunday school of Zion's church at York dates 
back to 1825. Rev. Lewis Mayer was pastor there 
from 1821 to 1825. He introduced English services, 
and during his pastorate a Sunday school room was 
erected in the rear of the church, which implies that a 
Sunday school was already in existence before 1825. 
The present membership of Zion's school is about 600. 

The Reformed people in Allentown (in early times 
called Northampton) united with the Lutherans in 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



175 



1825 in organizing a Sunday school. Rev. John Gob- 
recht was the pastor of the Reformed people. At the 
opening session 12 children, 4 teachers and a few spec- 
tators were present. Michael D. Eberhard was the 
first superintendent. For a number of years the school 
was conducted without any formal organization, being 
without constitution or elected officers. Every child 
brought its own book, a New Testament, the Psalms or 
a primer. All the books were in German. Some were 
opposed to the Sunday school, because there were then 
parochial schools. For several years the school met 
alternately in the Reformed and Lutheran churches. 
During the first ten years the school was several times 
discontinued. In 1835 it was reopened in St. Paul's 
Lutheran church, only to be again discontinued. Some 
^?hurch members objected to the school being con- 
ducted in the church on the ground that the scholars 
soiled the benches. In 1836 it was reopened in a 
school house. In 1840 the third church on the old 
Reformed ground was completed, and the school came 
home again, to the place where it had been founded 
sixteen years before. In 1845 a constitution and by- 
laws were adopted. In 1846 charges were brought 
against several teachers for attending a ball and danc- 
ing, and they were suspended for four weeks. At the 
end of that time they returned, made a confession and 
promised reform, and were restored. In 1849 the 
school consisted of 35 teachers and 180 scholars. In 
1856 the Lutherans withdrew from the school. In 
1905 Zion's school consisted of 47 officers and teachers 
and 812 scholars. 



176 



EARLY HISTORY 



The Sunday school of the First church at Lebanon 
was organized in August, 1828. Previous to that time 
the Reformed people were connected with the union 
school of the town. Mr. Jacob Roedel was the first 
superintendent and served four years, although he was 
a Lutheran. Mrs. William Moore prepared a question 
book for the study of uniform lessons. The superin- 
tendents have been Jacob Roedel, William Yeho, 
William Hiester, John Ermentrout, Elias Raber and 
Dr. Jos. L. Lemberger. The latter was elected on 
June 13, I860, and is still in office, having served 46 
years continuously. — As in the case of many of the 
older congregations, the First church at Lebanon main- 
tained a parochial school from an early date. The date 
of the organization of this school is not known, but it 
was in existence before 1773. In that year's account 
there is an item of expense of forty cents " for a bucket 
and tin cup for the school house." In 1905 the school 
consisted of 88 officers and teachers and 1043 scholars. 

One of the oldest Sunday schools in the Reformed 
Church is that of the First church in Easton. The 
congregation was organized about 1750, and the present 
church was erected in 1776. The Sunday school was 
organized in June, 1830, during the pastorate of Rev. 
Thomas Pomp. We have been unable to obtain any 
particulars in reference to the organization of the 
school or to its early history. The present member- 
ship of the Sunday school is 550. 

The Sunday school of the First church in Lancas- 
ter was organized in 1832 with some 30 teachers and 
upwards of 200 scholars. There were Sunday schools 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



177 



in several other churches of the city then already. 
The establishing of a Sunday school in the Reformed 
congregation was already urged in the consistory in 
1821, the record says, by a " respectable man," who 
stated that Sunday schools were beiug generally intro- 
duced, and the coDgregation must necessarily lose, un- 
less it fell into line in this movement. But nothiug 
was done then. In 1828 the matter was again brought 
up in the consistory, and it was agreed to start a Sun- 
day school in the school house in which the parochial 
school was conducted. However the matter was once 
more deferred, and the organization of the school was 
delayed until 1832, when it was organized and con- 
ducted in the church. The present membership of the 
school is about 260. The parochial school was founded 
soon after the organization of the congregation. 

The Sunday school of Boehm's church in Mont- 
gomery county was organized on July 27, 1834. Mr. 
Fred. Nuss was elected superintendent. Rev. George 
Heilig, a Lutheran clergyman, delivered an address. 
It is stated that during the first season the school was 
attended by 17 teachers and 117 scholars. The school 
has had a continuous existence ever since. 

The First Reformed Sunday school of Reading was 
organized in 1840. Previous to that time the Re- 
formed people were connected with the union school 
which held its sessions in the court house in Penn 
square, which school was commenced in 1819. In 
1840 the Reformed people changed the cellar of the 
church erected in 1832 into a basement for the Sunday 
school. The place was so dark that a lot of tallow 



178 



EARLY HISTORY 



dips were kept burning during the sessions to enable 
the people to read. Mr. Henry Ermentrout was the 
first superintendent, who served only a short time. He 
was succeeded by Mr. A. F. Boas, who continued in 
office until 1877, a period of 37 years. He was a great 
friend of children, and had been superintendent of a 
small colored school when he was only sixteen years of 
age. Among the scholars attending the school in the 
cellar still living are Dr. W. K. Zieber, of Hanover ; 
Mrs. Sarah B. Soder, Jacob B. Fricker, Jacob B. Bech- 
tel and Mrs. Rebecca J. Hantsch, of Beading. One of 
the teachers was the late Prof. John S. Ermentrout. 
At present the school has a membership of over 1300. 
— In 1755 Rev. Michael Schlatter organized one of 
the charity schools in the Reformed church at Read- 
ing, which was partly supported with foreign money. 
Subsequently the congregation maintained it until 
1848. The school house stood at the corner of Seventh 
and Washington streets, and was sold in 1850. 

In 1841 the first Sunday school in the White Oak 
congregation of the Bethany charge, Lancaster county, 
was organized by Matthias Hoffer, Henry Keiser and 
others. After being conducted in the church for three 
or four years the school was removed to another loca- 
tion. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



179 



37. 

SERVICES FOR CHILDREN. 

Not many years ago Children's Day was intro- 
duced in the Reformed Church, and this day is now 
very generally observed. But we must not think that 
special services for children are a modern institution. 
The Sunday school is often so greatly magnified that 
the impression is apt to be made that our fathers did 
not know the needs of the children, or did not concern 
themselves about them. Nothing could be more erron- 
eous. The fact is that good people always cared for 
the religious instruction of their children. No people 
were ever more particular in this matter than the Jews. 
Every child was thoroughly familiar with the history 
of this people. Their best school for the children was 
the family, and the father was the teacher. The his- 
tory of the Jews was constantly rehearsed in the fam- 
ily, and in this way the children were thoroughly 
schooled. Paul says of young Timothy that from a 
child he knew the Scriptures. 

Substantially the same may be said of our fathers 
in Germany. By means of the parochial schools and 
Sunday afternoon catechization the children were thor- 
oughly indoctrinated. Religious instruction was im- 
parted in the parochial school by the teacher, who was 
a pious man and stood next to the pastor in the com- 



180 



EARLY HISTORY 



m unity. Then on every Sunday afternoon the pastor 
instructed the children from the catechism. It is safe 
to say that the children in those days possessed a more 
thorough knowledge of religion than those of any later 
period. 

Our fathers in this country continued the good cus- 
tom of the Fatherland. The parochial school per- 
formed its good work here too until it was supplanted 
by the free school. Unfortunately with the discontin- 
uance of the parochial school religious instruction in 
the weekday school passed away almost entirely. In 
some instances the New Testament is still being read. 

The first Children's Day service of which we have 
a record was held in the Reformed church at Lebanon 
on Sunday, June 24, 1792. The service was held in 
the school house in the rear of the church. The pastor 
was Rev. Ludwig Rupp, and the program used on this 
occasion is still preserved. Of course it was in Ger- 
man. There was no English service at that time, and 
there was of course no Sunday school. (The latter 
was started in 1828.) At this Children's Day service 
there was responsive reading by the pastor and the 
school, and there was a choir which rendered music. 

The program is pervaded by a beautiful Christian 
spirit. Jesus is represented as the great Children's 
Friend whose blood cleanseth from all sin. Notwith- 
standing their sinfulness He welcomes all and imparts 
His grace to all who seek Him. The children are 
asked to dedicate themselves to Him in body, soul and 
spirit. 

At a later period the late Dr. F. W. Kremer intro- 
duced quarterly children's services. The regular 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 181 

church services were always well attended on the part 
of children and young people, but once a quarter the 
Sunday school was taken into the church and appro- 
priate services held. The pastor preached a sermon 
suited for the occasion. These quarterly children's 
services were very much like those now held on what 
is known as Children's Day. The writer has vivid 
and pleasant recollections of these services which he 
attended as a boy. 



182 



EAELY HISTORY 



38. 

EARLY CHURCH SOCIETIES. 

The oldest society in the Reformed Church is the 
Ministerial Relief Society, which was organized in 1773 
by the Coetus. The object was to aid disabled minis- 
ters and widows of ministers. (See page 188.) 

Early Brotherhood. 

The first congregational society of which the writer 
has any record is that of a Brotherhood. It was organ- 
ized by the male members of the First church in Phil- 
adelphia on February 10, 1806. Its specific object 
was " to preserve the German language, divine services 
and schools." The time was during the first agitation 
for English services. The members of this Brother- 
hood realized the need of co-operation for the preserva- 
tion of their mother tongue. In 1807 the Brotherhood 
addressed a communication to the consistory, which 
states its object more fully. This letter is as follows : 

Philadelphia, February 13th, 1807. 
Reverend and. Worthy Members of the Consistory : 

It is well known to you that on February 10th of 
last year a brotherhood was established among the men 
in Mr. SchinkePs house, " to preserve the German lan- 
guage, divine services and schools." This brotherhood 
held its meetings in the school house every month. 
On March 10th 35 members of the congregation were 
enrolled for this purpose, but since that time some 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



183 



have stayed away altogether. You know, dear sirs, 
that the result of the last election was secured with 
heavy cost. If it had not been done we would have 
been lost entirely, and would have had to submit to 
the English yoke. We regard it as necessary, if Ger- 
man services are to continue, that the youth in our 
congregation enjoy more instruction and be held to- 
gether according to our best ability. 

Already on the 14th of April we took measures to 
establish a Sunday school, because our regulations men- 
tion particularly the cultivation of the German lan- 
guage, divine services and the schools. Hence it was 
our duty to carry on the good work towards comple- 
tion. We elected teachers, fit to begin and to continue 
this laborious and troublesome work. Hardly had it 
become known in our congregation when parents sent 
their children with great joy, even from the " Neck" 
and Kensington, a great distance, to our Sunday school. 
On the first Sunday 40 children were present, since 
that time the number has grown to 100. It is incum- 
bent upon you, dear sirs, as overseers of our congrega- 
tion, to support the German schools more and more. 
Take a look at the Lutheran congregation and notice 
what measures are there taken and how they interest 
themselves in the schools. Their congregation is about 
half again as strong, as ours, but thev have four week- 
day schools and two Sunday schools, while we have 
only two, namely, one weekday school and one Sunday 
school. . . . Therefore do not delay any longer, but 
take everything into consideration, especially our 
schools. Where do the many sects come from ? From 
a lack of a thorough knowledge of religion, when one 
believes this and the other that, and at last none knows 
what to believe. We are convinced that it is high 
time and our duty more and more to establish and to 
confirm our children in their religion, as Paul praises 
young Timothy that from a child he had known the 



184 



EARLY HISTORY 



holy Scriptures, which were able to make him wise 
unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. 

The Sunday school has had expenses since its es- 
tablishment. Books, paper, ink, pens, a box in which 
to keep the books, etc., had to be bought. This money 
has been taken temporarily from the treasury of the 
brotherhood. Last year we appealed to you. We re- 
ceived an answer, but there was in it no reference to 
the support of the school. We had to be satisfied with 
that. But now since our debt has increased, through 
the last election, we feel compelled to appeal to you 
again and to ask you that a collection in behalf of our 
Sunday school be taken in church, in order that we 
may return to the brotherhood the money advanced to 
us. The rest of the money will be used to buy books 
and other necessaries. 

We are with high esteem, 

Jacob Belsterling. 

Georg Muller, Johan Christ, Von Hof, Philip 
Mertz, Friedrich Schenkel, Adam Holl. 

Early Women's Society. 

The women of the Reformed church in Philadel- 
phia also had an early society for a most laudable ob- 
ject. It is to be regretted that the date of the organi- 
zation is unknown. Its constitution was first pub- 
lished in 1818, but it is believed that the society ex- 
isted a long time before that. The constitution was 
published in the first number of the magazine which 
bears the title " Evangelische Erbauliche Aufsatze." 
The magazine contains articles on Sabbath observance, 
the festival days, etc., and also a hymn sung at the 
monthly meeting of the society- 

We herewith append a translation of the main por- 
tion of the constitution : 



OF THE ^REFORMED CHURCH. 



185 



Art. 1. This society shall bear the name The 
Women's Society for the promotion and exercise of 
true godliness in the High German Reformed Church 
in Philadelphia. 

Art. 4. The object of this society shall be to pro- 
mote godliness by divine assistance among the mem- 
bers and others. 

Art. 5. The society shall seek to secure the attend- 
ance of the women of the congregation at public wor- 
ship on Sundays and at the weekly prayer-meetings. 

Art. 6. The society shall consider the poor of the 
congregation, and for this purpose contribute 12J cents 
per month. Besides this every member admitted into 
the society shall make a voluntary offering for the 
treasury. 

Art. 7. The society shall seek to send poor chil- 
dren to the school as far as the treasury will allow. 

Art. 8. A committee of eight persons shall be ap- 
pointed — two for the city, two for South wark, two for 
the Northern Liberties and two for Kensington — to 
look after the female members who may neglect public 
worship and the prayer meeting, and to admonish such 
of their duty to attend the preaching of the word on 
Sunday morning and afternoon. 

Art. 9. This society shall concern itself about the 
girls of the Sunday school. 

Art. 10. This society shall publish evangelical 
tracts and edifying compositions with the assistance of 
the pastor. Should the Lord bless the effort, there 
shall eventually be published an evangelical magazine. 

The balance of the constitution relates to the duties 
of the officers. 

The above two documents are interesting as show- 
ing that the men and women of the Reformed Church 
in Philadelphia a hundred years ago were good and 
13 



186 



EARLY HISTORY 



earnest people. The objects of both societies were 
most laudable. 

The following hymn was sung at the monthly meet- 
ings of the Women's Society in Philadelphia. Both 
the constitution and the hymn have come to us through 
the kindness of Rev. A. Stapleton, of Wrightsville, Pa. 

Uns Schwache, Herr, verachte nicht, 

Die du ervvahlet hast. 
Wir wandelu ja in deinem Licht, 

Hilf tragen jede Last. 

Herr Jesu ! uns verbinde ganz 

Id Lieb' uud Einigkeit, 
Und schenke Weisheit, Geistesglanz, 

Uns alien Seligkeit. 

Die Heerde, Jesu ! sammle du, 
Durch deiuen Geist und Wort, 

Auch die Verlornen fiihr' herzu, 
Sey unser starker Hort ! 

Die Armen, Herr ! verlasse nicht, 

Die Kinder segue du. 
Komm unter uns, O Lebenslicht ! 

Und schenke Fried und Ruh. 

Breit aus, O Herr, das Christenthum, 

Ach, baue dir dein Reich, 
Zu deines Namens Preis und Ruhm, 

Herr Gott, wer ist dir gleich ! 

So singen wir mit Herz und Mund 

Dein Lob. Halleluja ! 
Und machen deine Wunder kund. 

Schweigt, unser Gott ist nah' ! 

In more recent years the Church has had numer- 
ous societies. Congregational missionary societies have 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



187 



long since existed, as well as Women's Mite or Benevo- 
lent Societies, etc. There was during many years a 
female prayer meeting in the First Reformed church at 
Lebanon. 

About twenty years ago Women's Classical and 
Synodical Missionary Societies were organized. When 
these came before the General Synod of 1890 for recog- 
nition, the matter led to an animated discussion. Some 
appeared to fear that the women were going to far, and 
reaching beyond their legitimate sphere. Some ex- 
pressions were made which afterward had to be re- 
called. Some were quick to quote Paul that the 
" women should be silent in church." It is indeed 
remarkable how strong was the prejudice on the part 
of some ministers against women's missionary societies. 
At a subsequent meeting of a District Synod a lady 
foreign missionary of the Reformed Church had been 
scheduled to speak in the church on a certain evening 
during the sessions, but the pastor loci could not bear 
the idea of a .woman speaking in his church, and she 
was forbidden. She might go to the ends of the earth 
to carry the gospel of Jesus to the heathen, but she 
must not undertake to speak in a Reformed church, 
because she was a woman ! The lady accepted an in- 
vitation to speak in another church, where she received 
a great ovation. But fortunately things are changed 
now. 

At the present time we have no lack of societies in 
the Church, but rather a surplus. It is felt that the 
Church now spends far too much energy upon organi- 
zations. Some one has said that one more society was 
needed — one to kill useless societies ! 



188 



EARLY HISTORY 



39. 

MINISTERIAL RELIEF SOCIETY. 

In the beginning of the Christian Church the Gre- 
cians complained against the Hebrews because their 
widows were neglected, and the Apostles appointed 
seven deacons to care for this matter. Acts 6 : 1-4. 

The early Reformed ministers of Pennsylvania also 
realized the necessity of providing for widows. The 
first person to receive consideration of this kind was the 
widow of Rev. John P. Boehm, who may be regarded 
as the founder of the Reformed Church in our state. 
He had spent his life in the service of the people, with 
but little salary, and supported his family on a farm in 
Montgomery county. In 1752 the Coetus paid the 
widow four pounds in Pennsylvania money. She also 
received fourteen guilders from Holland, to which the 
Coetus added 38 shillings, besides the four pounds. 

The wife of Rev. Dorsius was given 47 guilders of 
money from Holland. She appears to have been de- 
serted by her husband, as appears later. In 1753 the 
Coetus states that " the deserted wife of Rev. Dorsius" 
was given 8 pounds in addition to the 6 pounds sent her 
from Holland. In 1754 the "deserted wife of Rev. 
Dorsius" was given 6 pounds. At the same meeting 
the widow of the recently deceased Rev. Mr. Wissler 
was given ten pounds. Subsequently the widows of 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



189 



Eevs. Muenz, Wissler, Dorsius and Weiss were assisted 
from the monies received from Holland. 

In 1755 Rev. Michael Schlatter, in sending the pro- 
ceedings of the Coetus to Holland, stated that he pro- 
posed to establish a Widow's Fund. 

The first formal action of the Coetus to establish a 
Widows' Fund was taken at the meeting of 1773, and 
is as follows : 

" Most of us are in our best years, all are married 
except Rev. Otterbein, and the majority are blessed 
with children. Owing to our very arduous work our 
strength is easily exhausted, and none of us can save 
enough out of his salary to enable his widow and or- 
phans to live comfortably after his death. Moreover, 
there are no institutions in this country which care for 
widows and orphans. Now, in order not to leave our 
dear ones entirely helpless after our departure, all the 
members of Coetus have resolved to establish a widows' 
and orphans' fund, into which every member of Coetus, 
as long as he lives, is to pay annually a fixed sum, 
which, after his death, is to be paid out, with interest, 
to his widow and orphans. But since we are too weak 
in numbers and means to make a good start in this en- 
terprise, we ask the Reverend Fathers for permission 
to use for this purpose that money which remains of the 
charitable donations, after duly providing for the pres- 
ent widows of ministers and schoolmasters, and which 
thus far was used to defray the traveling expenses of 
the ministers attending Coetus." 

In 1787 the Coetus adopted rules for the govern- 
ment of the Widow's Fund. Every member was to 
pay two pounds (about $5.00) annually at the meeting 
of the Coetus. Any one neglecting to pay was fined at 
the rate of ose penny per day. Any member marrying 



190 



EARLY HISTORY 



more than once had to pay a double fee for that year, 
four pounds, or about $10.00. In case a minister was 
excluded from Coetus he could still continue as a mem- 
ber of the Widow's Fund, and after his death his wid- 
ow and children received benefits, the same as if no ex- 
clusion had taken place. Any member neglecting to 
pay three times forfeited his rights and excluded his 
family from benefits. The interest of the money in- 
vested was annually divided among ministers' widows 
as long as they remained such widows. In case a min- 
ister left no widow, but children, such children were 
beneficial until the age of sixteen years. In case Coetus 
wished to aid others than widows, money could be bor- 
rowed from the Fund, but had to be replaced, and the 
officers of Coetus had to give the treasurer a bond for 
the return of the money. At that date (1787) there 
were fourteen members of the Widows' Fund, and the 
capital of the Fund amounted to 337 pounds, 16 shil- 
lings and 2 pence. There were then three beneficiaries, 
the widows Wittner, Bucher and Steiner. 

This laudable work has been continued to this day. 
Additions were made to the Fund from the allowance 
from Holland as money could be spared, and the wid- 
ows of ministers assisted by small gratuities. In 1810 
the society was chartered, but during many years it 
continued a small affair. In 1833 the society was re- 
organized and the money on hand transferred. In 
recent years the society has flourished, and the Fund 
has been largely increased by collections in churches 
and membership fees. At the close of its fiscal year, 
Sept. 30, 1905, the society had an invested endowment 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



191 



of $70,300. The receipts during the year amounted to 
about $ 14,000, and there was paid out to 63 benefi- 
ciaries the sum of $3797. 

This old society is not under sy nodical control. 
The General Synod of 1905 took steps to organize a 
society which will be under the control of that body, 
and into which it is hoped the old society will be 
merged. The purpose is to have one society for the 
whole Church. 

The new General Synod society was organized in 
the city of Pittsburg, Pa., on August 1, 1905, by the 
Board elected by said synod. A charter and by-laws 
were adopted. The name of the society is " Board of 
Ministerial Relief of the Reformed Church in the Unit- 
ed States." These officers were elected : President, Dr. 
Philip Vollmer ; vice president, Dr. J. H. Steele ; sec- 
retary and treasurer, Dr. J. M. Schick ; executive 
committee, Dr. Philip Vollmer, Dr. J. M. Schick, Rev. 
T. M. Yundt, Dr. J. W. Meminger, and elder George 
A. Leinbach. The latter died soon after. 



192 



EARLY HISTORY 



40. 

EARLY EDUCATIONAL MOVEMENTS. 

In 1767 Rev. J. Leyd appeared before Coetus as a 
delegate of the Dutch Coetus of New Jersey and New 
York, with a communication from the above body re- 
questing a closer fellowship between the two Coetuses. 
Rev. L. stated that the Dutch brethren had secured the 
privilege of founding a college in New Jersey for the 
purpose of preparing young men for the ministry and 
requested support. The German Coetus received the 
proposition with pleasure, and expressed the need of 
facilities to prepare young men here instead of bringing 
all such from Germany, especially since some of those 
secured in the latter way failed to meet the require- 
ments. The Coetus asked the Church in Holland for 
permission to aid in the founding of a college such as 
was proposed. The experience of several centuries in 
Europe had taught the usefulness of such an institution. 

The Dutch brethren in New York and New Jersey 
founded Queen's College at New Brunswick, N. J. In 
1772 the attention of Coetus was called to it and the 
request made that the ministers should recommend the 
college from their pulpits. This was agreed to. 

The first expressed desire on the part of Coetus to 
have a way to prepare young men for the ministry we 
find in the report to Holland in 1765. The brethren 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



193 



say : " It would be against nature and reason that the 
daughter should always have to remain a minor and 
inferior, that she should never dare to grow into moth- 
erhood and womanhood. If our Zion is to flourish, the 
daughter must become a woman and a mother. The 
Presbyterians have given us an example in this, and 
have prepared men, whereby their churches flourish. 
And so in time it w T ill have to be with our Church. The 
Synods and Classes of Holland are our best example in 
their beginning and progress, and our regular ordina- 
tion, after the articles of our faith, gives us the right 
and the power to increase that we may arrive at riper 
years." 

In 1766 the Coetus declares that it has no intention 
to separate from the Church in Holland, but it asks for 
permission to examine and ordain candidates when nec- 
essary. It cites as a precedent that in 1752 Rev. Mr. 
Schlatter ordained Du Bois and Tempelman. But the 
Fathers in Holland were slow to grant this request. 
However the desire grew on the part of the brethren in 
Pennsylvania, and the request was renewed from time 
to time. In 1770 the Holland Fathers agreed that 
Coetus might ordain young men after consent had been 
obtained from Holland. 

In 1784 Coetus again refers to the desirability of 
preparing young men here for the ministry, instead of 
depending upon a foreign country for a full supply. 
However a school could not be established without aid 
from abroad. 

In 1785 the Coetus again expresses itself upon this 
subject. It repeats that a school was needed in the 



194 



EARLY HISTORY 



central part of the state to prepare young men for the 
ministry. The reason for this view was that it was 
expensive to bring ministers from Europe, besides some 
of those brought proved failures, either by bringing 
stains with themselves or by not being able to accom- 
modate themselves to the new country ; secondly, many 
young men would devote themselves to the ministry if 
they had an opportunity, and the people had more con- 
fidence in natives than foreigners, because of their un- 
fortunate experience. Thirdly, the Presbyterians had 
established a second sohool at Carlisle, for which they 
had asked support and some Reformed teachers. The 
request was declined out of love for the German lan- 
guage. The assurance is again expressed that there is 
no desire to separate from Holland. But no matter 
how small a beginning might be made, the Reformed 
people could not establish a school or college without 
aid, but they believed that the money thus invested 
would bear good fruit. 

In 1786, after reciting their unfortunate experience 
with several ministers sent from Europe, the members 
of the Coetus again expressed their desire for a school 
in which to educate young men as the surest way of 
securing suitable ministers. 

The desire for a school in which young men might 
be educated for the Reformed ministry was finally real- 
ized in the founding of Franklin College at Lancaster 
in 1787. This college was established principally for 
the education of the sons of the Pennsylvania Ger- 
mans, Reformed and Lutheran, and Benjamin Frank- 
lin took a leading part in it. The college was named 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



195 



after him. He had donated 200 pounds. The state 
donated 10,000 acres of land in the northwestern part 
of the state to the new college. The building was 
dedicated on June 6, 1787. This was a great occasion. 
Benjamin Franklin attended the dedication, although, 
he was then old and feeble. A copy of the published 
program is still at hand. A procession was formed at 
the court house and marched to the German Lutheran 
church, where services were held. The Reformed Coe- 
tus formed a part of the procession, as well as the Re- 
formed congregation. The services were conducted in 
both languages. Anions; the first trustees were Revs. 
"Weyberg, Hen del, Albert HelfFensteiu, John W. In- 
gold, Abraham Blumer, Fred. Dailicker, Jos. Hiester, 
Philip Greenawald and others of the Reformed Church. 
Of the 40 trustees 15 were Reformed, 15 Lutherans 
and the remainder represented other denominations. 
The first president was Dr. H. E. Muhlenberg, Luth- 
eran, and the first vice president was Dr. Wm. Hendel, 
Reformed. 

Annual public examinations were held, when stu- 
dents delivered orations. The first one was held on 
Oct. 17, 1788, conducted by Rev. Dr. William Hen- 
del, of the Reformed Church. People were curious to 
see how the German boys would get along in the Eng- 
lish pronunciation, and it is stated that " there was no 
difference between them and the English born, except 
that the Germans read more slowly and distinctly." 
At the second examination on July 3, 1789, a German 
oration was delivered by John T. Faber, jr., afterwards 
a prominent Reformed minister. Among other stu- 



196 



EARLY HISTORY 



dents who entered the Reformed ministry were J. C. 
Becker and Philip Gloninger. 

The Coetus of 1787 was held in Lancaster on June 
5, so that it might attend the dedication of Franklin 
College. But it is difficult to understand the report of 
the Coetus on this subject. The new college is called 
a " German High School in Lancaster." 

The original building in which Franklin College 




FRANKLIN COLLEGE, LANCASTER, 1787. 

was started is still standing. It is a two-story brick 
building, and is located on North Queen street, near 
James. It was erected by the government during the 
Revolution and used as an arsenal. After the removal 
of Franklin College the building was sold and changed 
into a number of dwelling houses. Above we present 
a picture of the original building. 

In 1790 the Coetal report states that "the High 
School at Lancaster failed a year ago, because on ac- 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



197 



count of the hard times the professors did not receive 
their salaries." This was not fully correct. The school 
was kept open, but in 1788 there was only one teacher 
left. The trouble was lack of money. The Reformed 
and Lutheran people did not generally favor higher 
education, and the college was not properly patronized. 
In March, 1788, the professors voluntarily agreed to 
be satisfied with £100 as salary instead of £200. 

Thus at first the college was rather a disappoint- 
ment, but later it prospered, and continued its work 
until 1853. Gradually it had come under the control 
of the Reformed and Lutherans. In 1850 the Re- 
formed purchased the Lutheran interest for $17,169.61, 
and Franklin College was united with Marshall Col- 
lege at Mercersburg. The latter college, founded in 
1836, was removed to Lancaster in 1853, and since 
then the united institution is known as Franklin and 
Marshall College. 

But Franklin College did not furnish as many 
young men for the Reformed ministry as had been ex- 
pected. Before its founding and long afterward certain 
pastors instructed young men in theology and other 
branches in their homes, and furnished many ministers 
in this way. Revs. Weyberg, Hendel, Gross and Helf- 
fenstein prepared a number of young men in this way 
during the time of the Coetus. This work was con- 
tinued under the Synod which was organized in 1793. 
Rev. Samuel Helifenstein is said to have prepared 27 
young men. Dr. Lebrecht Frederick Herman, who 
was the last minister sent here from Europe, prepared 
13 young men, five of whom were his own sons — Chas. 



198 



EARLY HISTORY 



G., Augustus L., Frederick A., Reuben and Lewis C. 
(Another son, Alfred J., had also studied for the min- 
istry, but instead devoted himself to the medical profes- 
sion, and became a prominent physician at Carlisle.) 
The other young men prepared by Dr. Herman were 
these well-known ministers : Revs. John C. Guldin (a 
great-grandson of Rev. Samuel Guldin, the first or- 
dained Reformed minister in Pennsylvania, who came 
here in 1710), B. S. Schneck, Thomas H. Leinbach, 
Josepn S. Dubbs, Peter S. Fisher, Abraham Berge, 
Richard A. Fisher and David Young. 

In this way ministers were supplied for the Church 
until the founding of the theological seminary at Car- 
lisle, Pa., which was opened on March 11, 1825. In 
1829 the seminary was removed to York, in 1837 to 
Mercersburg and in 1871 to Lancaster, where it is now 
located. Besides this there are now three other semi- 
naries in the Church — Ursinus School of Theology in 
Philadelphia, Heidelberg Seminary at Tiffin, Ohio, and 
the Mission House near Franklin, Wis. 



OF THE EEFOEAIED CHURCH. 



199 



41. 

EAELY CUSTOMS. 

We read that Eev. Michael Schlatter met Conrad 
Ternpelnian, a lay preacher, for the first time on a com- 
munion occasion in Muddy Creek church in 1747. 
After the communion Mr. Schlatter asked Mr. Tem- 
pelman to preach a thanksgiving sermon, which was so 
satisfactory to Mr. Schlatter that he recommended that 
Tempelman should be ordained. A thanksgiving ser- 
mon after the communion? What does that mean? 
It simply means what it implies. In the early history 
of our Church in this state the communion was fol- 
lowed by a thanksgiving sermon, and it was logical. 
It strikes us strangely, because the custom is not ob- 
served now. The communion is a great ble-sing, which 
calls for gratitude. We now express gratitude in the 
prayers before and after the communion, but our fathers 
had also a sermon on the subject. This custom ex- 
plains the statement about Mr. Tempelman's thanks- 
giving sermon at the communion. People in our clay 
would not be williug to listen to a sermon after the 
communion. In the average congregation it would 
prolong the service too much. 

Another early custom connected with the prepara- 
tion for the communion was the one observed in the 
Reformed church in Lancaster, introduced by Rev. 



200 



EARLY HISTORY 



Wm. Otterbein and continued daring several pastor- 
ates. Mr. Otterbein was an earnest and godly man, 
and entered upon his pastorate at Lancaster in 1752. 
He had agreed to serve the congregation five years. 
He was much grieved by the lack of church discipline. 
At the end of his term he desired to withdraw, but the 
people wished him to remain, and Coetus also urged 
him to continue in this work. He finally consented 
upon the condition that proper discipline be exercised 
and that he be unhampered in the performance of his 
duties. He resumed his work in 1757. In that year 
the custom above referred to was introduced. A paper 
was drawn up in the handwriting of Rev. Mr. Otter- 
bein, in which certain evils are recited and the need of 
discipline stated. The measure was approved by the 
congregation and signed by eighty male members. 
Accordingly communicants were required to present 
themselves to the pastor upon a day appointed for that 
purpose, in order that the pastor might have interviews 
with them in reference to their spiritual life, and to 
impart to them counsel and comfort. The day ap- 
pointed for the purpose was before the preparatory 
service. Mr. Otterbein served as pastor from 1752 to 
1758, and the congregation made more real progress 
than ever before. The above custom was continued 
during succeeding pastorates until the close of the pas- 
torate of Rev. J. H. Hoffmeier, and existed during 
seventy-five years. Perhaps it would be well if the 
custom were still practised. It would no doubt tend 
to growth in the divine life. 

At each meeting of the Classis every minister is 
expected to read a report of his pastoral labors during 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



201 



the preceding year. In the case of a large Classis this 
consumes much time. Even ministers without charges 
come under this rule. This custom dates back to the 
beginning of our Church in this country. At the meet- 
ing of the Coetus in 1748 it was ordered that every 
minister should annually " hand in to the Coetus a re- 
port concerning the members of the congregations en- 
trusted to him, how many have died, how many have 
been married, how many children of both sexes have 
been baptized and how many new persons have been 
admitted to the holy communion during the year, in 
addition to the former number, which shall be given." 

Since then the scope of these parochial reports has 
been greatly enlarged. Now the pastor is required to 
report also the number of unconfirmed members, con- 
firmations, number of Sunday schools, scholars, teach- 
ers and officers, contributions for benevolence and con- 
gregational purposes, etc. 

Some of the early Reformed ministers wore gowns 
when officiating in church. Such was the case with 
Rev. Dr. Weyberg in Philadelphia. This was also the 
custom in early times at Lancaster. On April 17, 
1750, a certain tailor there was paid six shillings for 
making a gown for their pastor, Rev. Ludwig F.Vock. 
The custom gradually fell into disuse, and we know 
only of a few Reformed ministers now wearing gowns. 
The custom is still continued in many parts of the 
Lutheran Church in Pennsylvania. 

It is to be regretted that the early congregations 
did not at once commence regular church records. For 
a long time records were kept only of baptisms and 
14 



202 



EARLY HISTORY 



marriages. At the Coetus of 1752 Rev. Mr. Schlatter 
gave each minister two such records bound in parch- 
ment, which he had brought from Holland. The one 
given to Rev. John Waldschmid is now in possession 
of Mr. David W. Gress, Denver, Pa., a lineal descend- 
ant of Waldschmid. 

Years ago more attention was given to the religious 
instruction of the youth than is done now. The young 
people were thoroughly indoctrinated. This was done 
in the parochial school and subsequently in the cate- 
chetical class. As a rule the candidates for confirma- 
tion committed to memory all the questions and an- 
swers of the catechism. Then before confirmation they 
were publicly examined before the whole congregation. 
It was an excellent plan. What people acquire in their 
youth usually adheres to them through their lives. 
The cramming system of the public schools has made 
the former thoroughness in catechisation impossible. 

In the German Fatherland it was customary for the 
pastor to instruct the young people every Sunday after- 
noon in the catechism. This plan was better than 
many modern Sunday schools. . It was also introduced 
in our country. In 1768 Elder Wm. Bausman com- 
plained to the Coetus that the pastor at Lancaster, 
Rev. William Hendel, failed to catechize the children 
regularly on Sunday afternoon. The pastor repli3d 
that this was impossible, because he was supplying the 
Reformed people at Pequea on certain Sunday after- 
noons. The plan was in vogue elsewhere, but gradu- 
ally fell into disuse because the ministers had to serve 
many congregations. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



203 



The Moravian pastor at Hebron, now a part of 
Lebanon, states that on June 11, 1791, he attended a 
confirmation service by invitation in the First Re- 
formed church at Lebanon. Rev. Ludwig Lupp, the 
pastor, confirmed fifty children. First there was a 
preparatory sermon, after which the children were 
twice catechised. Then the Lord's Supper was cele- 
brated. The whole service occupied six hours, and 
there was much weeping in the church, because the 
hearts of the young people were greatly affected. On 
June 10, 1797, Pastor Lupp confirmed seventy young 
persons in the same church. This was a large number, 
considering that Lebanon at that time was only a 
small town. The congregation included many country 
people. 

Until 1776 our country was under the jurisdiction 
of the King of England. Those coming to this coun- 
try had to swear allegiance to the crown of England. 
The first constitution of the Reformed Church, formu- 
lated by Rev. John P. Boehm in 1725, made it the 
duty of Reformed ministers " to pray in the public 
congregation for our beloved King, the King of Great 
Britain, and for the government of this country." The 
loyalty of the German people was frequently ques- 
tioned by the English, but there could be no doubt 
about the loyalty of the German Reformed. 

The most proper place for the baptism of children 
is undoubtedly the church. This was the view of our 
fathers. But the practise has largely fallen into decay. 
In the year 1786 the consistory of the Lancaster con- 
gregation adopted this action : 



204 



EARLY HISTORY 



" Since through the disorder of the war the Christ- 
ian order of the Church has fallen into neglect to such 
an extent that, for some time past, no children have 
been baptized in the church, therefore ' Resolved, that 
from this time forward, in accordance with the rules 
of the Church, all children must be baptized in the 
church. If, however, a child is sick, or the weather is 
bad, it may be baptized in the house/ " 

It has always been a custom to elect elderly mem- 
bers to the eldership, whilst younger ones were called 
to serve as deacons. In many instances elders con- 
tinued in office during many years. With reference to 
the age of elders the consistory of the Reformed con- 
gregation at Lancaster in 1799 adopted this resolution : 

" Resolved, that no one shall be elected elder who, 
besides leading a good life, is not of such an age as 
shall constitute him really venerable enough to be 
called elder. This shall be a settled ordinance for- 
ever." 

One of the interesting facts in the long history ot 
the First church at Lancaster is this one. The Baus- 
man family has been active in it- from an early period. 
In 1752, when the Second church was erected, to take 
the place of the little log church of 1736, William 
Bausman was one of the prominent members. In 1768 
he represented his congregation at the meeting of the 
Coetus, and complained to that body about certain ac- 
tions of the pastor, Dr. William Hendel. In 1771, 
when the congregation was incorporated by Thomas 
and William Penn, he was an elder. In 1854 Samuel 
Bausman commenced to serve as elder. During 1866, 
1867 and 1868 Philip, Jacob and Samuel Bausman, 
three brothers, served as elders. They were elder 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



205 



brothers of Rev. B. Bailsman, D. D., of Reading. 
Philip Bailsman served as elder from 1866 until his 
death in January, 1897, excepting a few years between 
1869 and 1880. 

It has been the custom of the Reformed Church 
from early times not to ordain a candidate until he had 
received a call. This custom still prevails, except in 
the case of foreign missionaries. In 1779 a Mr. Twi- 
foot, a member of the Church of England, applied to 
Coetus for ordination. He had been preaching in Eng- 
land. His request was declined because of the above 
rule, and also because the Episcopal Church does not 
recognize the ordination of Reformed ministers. 

During the early history of the Reformed Church 
in Philadelphia the people had a chain stretched across 
the street near the church, so that the worship might 
not be disturbed by passing vehicles. Matters are dif- 
ferent now. Many congregations are disturbed during 
worship by passing street cars and vehicles, and some 
by the shrill whistles of steam engines. No chains 
would be tolerated now. 

Under the constitution of the Reformed Church the 
elders with the pastors constitute the spiritual council 
for the purpose of watching over the spiritual affairs of 
the congregation and for the exercise of discipline, 
when necessary. Unfortunately this provision is not 
generally observed. The elders seldom act as such 
council. All the work is transacted by the consistory, 
composed of the elders and deacons, and sometimes 
trustees also. In 1805 the consistory of the Reformed 
church at Lancaster established the custom of meeting 



206 



EARLY HISTORY 



four times a year as a strictly spiritual body, when no 
other business was to be transacted but such as per- 
tained to " the establishing and maintaining of Christ- 
ian order, the promotion of love to all that is good, and 
to the advancement of God's honor and glory/' This 
custom was followed a long time, but finally abandoned. 
It would surely be a good thing if the plan were gen- 
erally followed. The misfortune is that there are too 
few " spiritual" meetings. The consistory meetings 
partake too much of the secular. Financial matters 
choke spiritual affairs. 



OF THE REFORMED CHTJECH. 



207 



42. 

NAMES OF CONGREGATIONS. 

The study of the names of many churches consti- 
tutes an interesting subject. Many were named after 
localities and others after persons who donated land. 
We will mention a few such. 

Falkner Swamp congregation, the oldest in our 
denomination, was named after Daniel Falkner, one of 
the agents of the Frankfort Land Company. The 
region included considerable swampy land, and it was 
therefore called Falkner' s Swamp. 

St. Luke's church is located at the " Trappe" in 
Montgomery county. The meaning of the word Trappe 
has never been explained satisfactorily. One explana- 
tion offered is that in front of the original hotel at the 
place were many steps, the German of which is " Trep- 
pen." It is claimed that at first the place was known 
as the " Treppen," and that the name was afterward 
changed to Trappe. 

The first Reformed congregation organized in Berks 
county is the present Host church, five miles north of 
Womelsdorf. It was organized in 1727, or possibly 
earlier, by Palatines who came there in 1723 as the 
first settlers of the region. On October 18, 1727, Rev. 
J. P. Boehm administered the communion there. The 
Reformed for some time worshiped with the Lutherans 



208 



EARLY HISTORY 



in the Rieth log church, which was erected in 1727 
upon land donated by three brothers named Rieth. 
This was the first Reformed and Lutheran church in 
this country. Afterward the Reformed withdrew and 
erected the " Host" church at the place named. It is 
claimed that Host was the name of a family residing 
there. 

Hain's church, near Wernersville, Berks county, 
was also organized by Palatines who came to the Tul- 
pehocken region in 1723, viz., about the same time as 
the Host congregation, 1727. The proper name is St. 
John's, but it is known as Hain's, because George 
Hain donated the land, for which no deed was ever 
given. It was originally known as Cacusi church. 

The first church organized in Albany township, 
Berks county, was called "Allemangel" church. The 
term signifies "Allwants," because of the poor quality 
of the soil originally. When Rev. M. Schlatter in 
1747 organized the Reformed congregations into 
charges, he grouped " Magunchy, Allemangel and 
Schmalzgass" in a charge. The Allemangel church is 
now known as the Red church. 

The " Schmalzgass" church is the Jerusalem church 
near Allentown. The region was known by the above 
name in early times ; just why, we are unable to state. 
The first church was erected in 1741. 

The church at New Tripoli, formerly often called 
"Old Lynntown church," was during a long time 
known as the " organ church." It is so called in the 
minutes of Coetus. It was the first and for a long 
time the only church in that region which contained 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



209 



an organ. The first church was erected in 1761, and 
at a later period a small organ was introduced. But 
the exact time is unknown, nor is it known where the 
organ came from. In 1798 the church was demol- 
ished by a storm, and the organ was destroyed. In 
1850 a new organ was procured, after an apparent in- 
terval of many years. 

In Lowhill township, Lehigh county, stands the 
u Morning Land church." It is located near a cross 
road which bears the singular name of " Leather 
Corner Post/' How these names originated we cannot 
state. 

The congregation at Jonestown, Lebanon county, 
was originally called " the church on the Swatara," 
because it was near that stream. The first church 
stood two miles east of the present village of Jones- 
town, which had no existence when the churcn was 
erected. Rev. Conrad Tempelman was the first pastor. 

In the western part of Lebanon county stands the 
Bindn^geFs (Binding-Nail) church. This was the 
name of a family residing there. The church stands 
right on the left bank of the Swatara. The Reformed 
congregation has become extinct. 

There are a number of Hill churches. The Hill 
church four miles northwest of Lebanon is the oldest 
place of public worship in Lebanon county. (There is 
a tradition that there was a union church about two 
miles south of Lebanon which was known as the 
"Grubben church," previous to the Hill church.) The 
Hill congregation dates back to 1733. Rev. Conrad 
Tempelman was the first Reformed pastor. During 



210 



EARLY HISTORY 



the Indian war some people stood guard outside whilst 
others worshiped inside. The church stands upon an 
elevation, and for this reason it was called Hill church. 
Originally it was called Quittapahilla (an Indian 
name), because it is near the stream of that name. 
Rev. Casper Stoever, who organized the Lutheran con- 
gregation, erected a stone building at the stream, which 
served both as a dwelling for him and a grist mill. It 
is still standing. 

Another Hill church is located in the southeastern 
part of Berks county. It deserves this name not so 
much on account of standing upon a hill, as among a 
number of hills. In 1747 a frame church was erected. 
The roof projected a good deal over the sides, and the 
farmers hung their seed corn under this projection to 
be dried. For this reason the church was long known 
as the " corn church. " This congregation maintained 
a parochial school. The school house is still standing. 

One of the oldest congregations in Lehigh county 
is the Egypt church. We have made inquiry, but 
have been unable to discover a reason for this name. 

Several miles east of Hamburg, Berks county, 
stands St. Paul's church, which is known as "the 
smoke church." Why this designation we have been 
unable to learn. 

In the northern part of Lebanon county, between 
the first and second ranges of the Blue Mountains, are 
two small churches which are known as Moonshine's 
church and Sattazahn's church. Both were named 
after families. 

There are several Corner churches. One is located 
in the western part of Albany township, Berks county. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



211 



It is so called because of its location in a valley which 
comes to an end on the west. The region is known as 
" the corner." The proper name of the chirrch is New 
Bethel. 

Another corner church is near Robesonia, Berks 
county. This one is so called because it is located at 
one of four corners of a cross-road. The proper name 
of the Lutheran congregation is St. Daniel's, the only 
one we know by that name. A few years ago the Re- 
formed people, who never had an interest in the above 
property, united with St. Paul's congregation iD Robe- 
sonia, and the united congregation erected a new 
church in the village. Formerly the Lutherans had a 
six-cornered church near Pennsburg, Pa., which was 
not many years ago replaced by a new church. The 
first Reformed church in Philadelphia was octagonal 
in form, that is, eight-cornered, but it was not desig- 
nated in that way. 

In Richmond township, Berks county, there stand 
two St. Peter's churches in close proximity. St. Pe- 
ter's Reformed congregation erected a log church here 
at an unknown date, and now worships in a fine new 
building. The original St. Peter's church has the dis- 
tinction of having four corner-stones. Three are at one 
end. One is the cornerstone of the original church, 
but without date ; the others bear the dates of the erec- 
tion of the subsequent churches — 1762, 1809, 1890. 
The present church is the fourth one. In 1866 some 
of the members withdrew and with the Lutherans 
erected a separate church near by upon land donated 
for the purpose by Henry Becker. For this reason 
the latter building is called Becker's St. Peter's church. 



212 



EARLY HISTORY 



In the southern part of Berks county stands St. 
John's church, which is also known as the " Forest 
church" because of its location in the region generally 
known as the Forest. It is a hilly region, and years 
ago it was a vast forest. Now there are many good 
farms there. The church is also called " Plow 
church." Why this appellation we know not, unless 
it be because this is the name of a hotel nearby. The 
church is further known as the " Robeson church" be- 
cause it is located in Robeson township. This church 
is distinguished for having four names. 

Several churches were originally called " Ziegel 
church," because they were covered with tiles, the Ger- 
man term for tiles being Ziegel. One of these churches 
is a part of the charge which has been served during 
four generations by the Helffrich pastors. 

In Franklin county we have the Grindstone Hill 
church. The first log church here was erected in 1766. 

There are several " Red" churches. One of these 
is the one in Albany, Berks county, originally called 
"Allemangel" church because of its location in a very 
poor region. Later it was called " Red" church, be- 
cause its roof was painted red ; also to distinguish it 
from the White church near by, at Wesnersville. 

Another " Red" church is the one in Pine Valley, 
Schuylkill county, as described elsewhere in this book. 
The log church erected in 1754 was destroyed by the 
Indians before it had been dedicated. This was the 
first church ever erected north of the Blue Mountains. 

In Northumberland county we find the "HimmePs" 
church, which is a part of the Mahanoy charge. Him- 
mel is the German for heaven. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



213 



In the eastern part of Berks county we have the 
''Huff " church. It is so called because Mr. Frederick 
Huff donated the laud. He died in 1816, aged 82 
years. He was distinguished by the large number of 
his descendants. Among them were 79 grandchildren 
and 37 great-grandchildren. 

Of course the great majority of churches are named 
after saints. The most popular among them appear to 
be St. John and St. Paul. Almost every town or city 
which has several Reformed congregations includes a 
St. John's or St. Paul's. In Philadelphia, Reading 
and Lancaster we find churches bearing each of these 
names. There are more St. John's churches in towns 
containing more than one congregation than of any 
other name — Philadelphia, Reading, Allentown, Leba- 
non, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Schuylkill Haven, Tama- 
qua, etc. There is a St. Elias church at Newmans- 
town, Lebanon county, the only one we know of by 
this name. 

Other popular names are Christ, Zion's, Trinity 
and Salem. Such names are found in all sections. 

The Reformed Church in Cleveland followed a 
unique system in naming congregations. The first 
nine churches are named by numbers — First, Second, 
Third, etc. All of the nine were fouuded as German 
churches, but some have also introduced English 
preaching. When the first English congregation was 
established the system of numbers was dropped, and 
this church was named Hoiiffh Avenue. 

Many churches are best known in their communi- 
ties by the names of their pastors. In this way many 



214 



EARLY HISTOEY 



of the churches in Reading have been designated. This 
way is improper and objectionable. It sounds like 
nicknaming. 

A number of churches in Pennsylvania were named 
after localities in the Fatherland, such as Heidelberg, 
Schwarzwald, Berne, Salzburg, etc. 

The name Heidelberg has been especially popular 
from the beginning. Many of the Reformed immi- 
grants came from the region of the city of Heidelberg 
in the Palatinate, and they used the name in the new 
world. The Palatines who located in the Tulpehocken 
region applied the name to a large township in Berks 
county, now divided into three townships — Heidelberg, 
Lower Heidelberg and North Heidelberg. There are 
also Heidelberg townships in Lehigh and Lebanon 
counties. There is a North Heidelberg Reformed church 
in Berks county, and Heidelberg churches in York, 
Philadelphia, and Lehigh and Franklin counties. The 
only university in the Reformed Church in this coun- 
try bears the name of Heidelberg, at Tiffin, Ohio. One 
of the Classes in the Central Synod is named Heidel- 
berg. The Heidelberg Catechism is the symbol of 
faith of the Church. Heidelberg League is the name 
of a men's association organized some years ago by 
Dr. F. F. Bahner. 

The Jews told Jesus that a certain centurion was 
worthy, because he had built them a synagogue. It 
does not often happen that one man builds a church, 
but this happened at Sassamansville, near Boyertown, 
Pa. Mr. Henry Sassaman was originally a member of 
Christ (Huber's) church at Niantic. In 1837, when a 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



215 



new church was to be erected, Mr. Sassamau wished to 
have the location changed to a place nearer his home. 
But the congregation voted to erect the church on the 
old ground, when Mr. S. became excited, and using 
words which are not proper to be uttered, declared 
that he could erect a church alone, and left the meet- 
ing. He then erected the substantial brick church 
still in use at Sassamansville at his own expense of 
$4500, and presented the church to the Reformed, 
Lutherans and Mennonites. 

For a long time many churches were known by 
names different from those now attached to them. 
Practically all of these early names are now under- 
stood. Thus the Whitemarsh church is now the church 
at Fort Washington ; Skippack is the Wentz church ; 
Whitpen is Boehm's church ; Conestoga is Lancaster ; 
Hill church in Lancaster county is Heller's or Salem 
church ; Providence is St. Luke's, Trappe ; Macungie 
is Ziegel church ; Cacusi is the Hain's church ; Maxa- 
tawny is now St. John's church, Kutztown ; the origi- 
nal Tulpehocken church is Host church, Berks coun- 
ty ; the second Tulpehocken church is Trinity church, 
between Stouchsburg and Myerstown ; Quittapahilla is 
the Hill church, Lebanon county ; Swatara is the 
Jonestown church, Lebanon county ; Cocalico is Beth- 
any church at Ephrata ; Coventry, or the church at the 
Schuylkill, is Brownback's, Chester county. 

It is remarkable how many of the early churches 
were known by streams flowing near by them. Thus 
we have the Tulpehocken church, which was located 
near the stream bearing that name ; Cacusi church, 



216 



EARLY HISTORY 



now Ham's ; Northkill church, now Bernville ; Swa- 
tara church, now Jonestown ; Quittapahilla, now Hill 
church ; Cocalico church, now Bethany at Ephrata ; 
Sacony church, now Kutztown ; the church at the 
Forks of the Delaware, now Easton ; the church at the 
Schuylkill, now Brownback's ; Indian Creek church in 
Montgomery county, etc. 

Many names were originally spelled quite differ- 
ently from the present. We will give a few examples. 
Skippack was called Schip-Bach ; Whitemarsh — Weit- 
marge, Whitemarje, Weidmarge ; Macungie — Makin- 
shi, Makuntshy ; Tulpehocken — Dolpihacken, Tul- 
benhacken, Tulpitown ; Cacusi — Gagushi ; Quittapa- 
hilla — Quitenbehelen ; Swatara — Schwadare, Swettar- 
row ; Conestoga — Canastoka ; Dryland — Droggeland ; 
Taneytown— Danethawn ; Plaiufield — Blendfield ; Ger- 
mantown — Germandon ; Goshenhoppen — Cushehop- 
pen ; Misillem — Moselem or St. Peter's in Berks coun- 
ty, etc. 

It is remarkable how many incorrect names are ap- 
plied to the Reformed Church in early documents. The 
deed for the ground of the Reformed people in Lan- 
caster was given " to the members of the congregation 
of the Reformed Church of the High Dutch Protestants 
of Lancaster." The first deed to the Reformed people 
of Lebanon was made to " the Dutch Presbyterian Con- 
gregation." A second deed to the same people was 
made to " the German Presbyterian Congregation " 
The deed to the Reformed people of Reading was made 
to " the Religious Society of the Dutch Reformed Cal- 
vinists." This list might be greatly enlarged. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



217 



43. 

CHURCHES OF VARIOUS PERIODS. 

It may be said that churches of four general styles 
have been erected since the beginning of the Reformed 
Church in this country. The first style was that of a 
small log building. With very few exceptions all of 
the early churches were of this kind. On page 45 we 
publish a picture of this kind of churches. Very few 
of these first churches had bells. 

The second style was naturally an improvement 
over the first. On next page we print a picture of this 
class. The buildings were much larger and more sub- 
stantial. Some were erected of stone, others of sand- 
stone, and still others of frame. Whilst the first 
churches had in many instances only rude benches, the 
second class had a certain kind of pews, but these 
afforded no real comfort. Everything was still of a 
primitive order. But it was the best the people could 
afford, and they were satisfied. Nearly all of these 
churches were surmounted by a weather-vane in the 
form of a rooster, a figure borrowed from Holland. 

The rooster on the Reformed church in Reading 
was the cause of an amusing incident. On one occa- 
sion two ladies were passing along Washington street. 
One of them was superstitious. When opposite the 
Reformed church she was somewhat agitated and said 
15 



218 



EARLY HISTORY 



to her companion : " They say that when that rooster 
on the church once crows, the world will come to an 
end." But the rooster never crowed, and the world 
still stands. It is likely that someone had practised a 
joke on the too credulous lady. 




SECOND STYLE CHURCH. 

One of the most interesting rooster weather-vanes is 
the one which surmounted the first church of the Re- 
formed people of Germantown, erected in 1733. This 
interesting relic is still preserved by Mr. Charles J. 
Wister, of Germantown, and was shown the writer in 
1905. It contains a number of holes, and these have 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



219 



an interesting history. In the early part of 1764 a 
number of people from the Paxtang region, Dauphin 
county, went to Philadelphia to lay their grievances on 
account of the numerous Indian outrages before the 
state officials. After reaching Germantown they halted 
for some time in Market square, in front of the Re- 
formed church. Most of the men were armed, and 
during the halt some of them amused themselves at 
firing at the rooster weather-vane on top of the Re- 
formed church. (The people in Philadelphia were 
greatly alarmed by the approach of these people, who 
were called the Paxtang Boys, because they believed 
they were 1500 men strong and were coming to attack 
the city. Great preparations were made to defend the 
city against this imaginary foe.) 

A number of these churches had bells, and a few 
had small organs. Some of these churches had galler- 
ies on three sides, and in some instances the fronts of 
these galleries were finely finished. The church in 
Reading, erected in 1761, had much fine wood carv- 
ing. The gallery fronts of the historic Ham church in 
Berks county, erected in 1766, was in panels which 
contained a number of carved scenes from the Bible. 
The first one represented the Garden of Eden, with fig- 
ures of Adam, Eve, the tree and the serpent. When 
the church was rebuilt in 1878, these interesting em- 
bellishments were destroyed. How much they would 
be cherished by some people had they been preserved. 

The third style of church was rather a greater im- 
provement upon the second than the second was upon 
the first. On next page we print a picture of the in- 



220 



EARLY HISTORY 



terior of this class of churches. A number of this class 
of churches are still standing, but they are fast disappear- 
ing As they become unfit for use, they are replaced 
by buildings of the modern style. Very nearly all of 
these churches had so-called wine-glass pulpits ; that 
is, the pulpit had the general form of a goblet, standing 




THIRD STYLE CHURCH, INSIDE VIEW. 

upon a pedestal. The pulpit was small, having room 
for only one person. A winding stairway led up to 
the pulpit on either side. The pulpit was about six 
feet above the floor, so that the people in the front 
part of the church had to look up about twelve feet to 
see the face of the preacher. This was hard on their 
necks. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 221 

✓ 

As stated, these pulpits stood upon pedestals and 
were nailed to the wall. In a certain church in Le- 
high county a ludicrous accident is said to have hap- 
pened to the wine-glass pulpit. It had become loos- 
ened from its mooring, and the minister had called the 
attention of the officers to it, but upon examination 
they could see no danger. Some time after, when the 
minister became animated in preaching and leaned over 
the edge of the pulpit, it fell over, and the preacher 
was thrown over the chancel into the isle, but was not 
hurt. Amid the laughter of the people he arose and 
in an angered voice declared : " Dort leid nau euer 
alter Rappelkaste. Ich hab's euch gesaht kat." (There 
now is your rickety old thing. I had told you.) 

In the larger churches of this period were two large 
wood stoves, with long pipes leading to the chimney 
near the ceiling. In the centre, where the pipes met, 
these passed through a large drum, which generated 
additional heat. Immediately around the stoves it 
was very hot, whilst in the extreme parts of the church 
it was cold. The chancel was a small, square place, 
containing a small wooden altar. As a rule there were 
galleries on three sides of the church. In some in- 
stances the gallery fronts were finely finished. On the 
end gallery opposite the pulpit was the organ. The 
bellows was filled with air by means of hand-power. 
" Pumping the organ" was no light work. In the 
country churches this work is still performed by hand. 
In the cities it is done mostly by water or electric 
motors. The pews in these churches had high and 
straight backs. In many churches there were small 



222 



EARLY HISTORY 



doors at the entrance of the pews. What for ? No one 
may give a valid reason. Sometimes people of an ex- 
clusive spirit would close these doors and try to shut 
out others. These churches were one-story buildiDgs, 
and there were large windows with very small panes. 
Each window in the above picture contains 92 panes of 
glass. The church was usually surmounted by a 
steeple containing a bell. On the top of the steeple 
was a weather-vane, usually in the form of a fish. The 
old rooster was seldom seen on these churches. Upon 
the death of a member the bell was tolled as many 
strokes as the deceased was years old. In this way 
the death of persons was announced to the community, 
and the people could usually infer who had died from 
the number of strokes of the bell. The bell was also 
tolled during the time of the burial. The tolling bell 
had a very solemn sound, and made a deep impression 
upon the people. We vividly remember the sound of 
the tolling church bell. In the cities this custom has 
been discontinued, but in many country places it is 
still observed. 

Generally two biers (a larger and a smaller one) 
stood in the entrance to the church. We still remem- 
ber what an unpleasant impression these symbols of 
death and the grave made upon the writer's young 
heart. 

The modern style of churches presents a very strong 
contrast to all previous styles, especially that of the 
earliest period. We wonder what our fathers would 
say, if they could see one of these modern houses of 
worship! The cut herewith printed represents a 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



223 



modern city church. It is frequently erected of stone 
or granite. It is a one-story building and practically 
a double house of worship — one for the congregation 






and another for the Sunday school. There are many 
advantages of this style of churches. Both parts may 
be thrown into one large room. On this account the 



224 



EARLY HISTORY 



audience chamber needs not contain seats for the whole 
congregation, as not over three-fourths of the mem- 
bers are ever present at ordinary occasions, and on 
special occasions accommodations may be provided in 
the way indicated. The style of this church is a com- 
plete revolution of former styles. In many instances 
the choir and the organ are located either in the rear 
or on the one side of the pulpit, and the altar is fre- 
quently also in the rear of the pulpit. The pulpit is a 
small affair compared with the former style. Lack of 
space forbids a more full description of the modern 
church. 



OF THE EEFOEMED CHUECH. 



225 



44. 

SLAVERY IN PENNSYLVANIA. 

It sounds strangely to read about slavery in the 
state of Pennsylvania, yet such is the fact. And there 
have been two kinds of slavery, white and black. 

The white slaves were the so-called Redemption- 
ers. In the early history of the state many persons 
from Europe who were very poor, came here in the 
ships of Land Companies without paying for their pas- 
sage in advance. Upon landing at Philadelphia they 
were sold into servitude, and the money realized was 
used to pay their passage. Their term of service lasted 
from three to five years. The purchasers were mostly 
English people in Philadelphia and vicinity. Rev. 
Samuel Guldin, the first Reformed minister in Penn- 
sylvania, who came here in 1710, speaks of these white 
slaves in his report of his voyage. (See his report in 
this volume.) As a rule these Redemptioners were 
well treated. But there were exception's. The court 
records show that many of them ran away from their 
masters on account of harsh treatment. Many of these 
white slaves were sold to Quakers, who as a rule 
treated them kindly. After their liberation at the close 
of their term of service these Redemptioners were as 
poor as when they landed, absolutely without money, 
and they had a hard struggle to get a start in the new 
world. 



226 



EARLY HISTORY 



Then negro slavery prevailed in Pennsylvania, just 
as it existed in the southern states until the Civil War. 
There was probably this difference, that in a general 
way the slaves in those days received better treatment 
than in later years, when the traffic in slaves had be- 
come very profitable. At that early period people did 
not make it a business to raise slaves for the market, 
as cattle are raised. It is somewhat remarkable that 
some of the followers of William Penn, that is, the 
Quakers, were slaveholders. In 1748 Peter Kalm, in 
describing his travels in Pennsylvania, wrote : " Quak- 
ers at first scrupled against holding slaves, but they 
are no longer so nice, and they have as many negroes 
as the other people." Penn's object in purchasing 
Pennsylvania -was largely to establish a free state. 
But it is to the credit of the Quakers of England and 
America that they were among the first to advocate 
the abolition of slavery. 

Among the early slaveholders was Rev. Geo. M. 
Weiss, the second ordained Reformed minister coming 
to Pennsylvania. He came here in 1727, and preached 
in Montgomery county. He died in Upper Hanover 
township, said county, in 1761, and among his property 
was a family of negro slaves, consisting of the parents 
and eight children. The whole family was appraised 
at 280 pounds. The father was then a cripple, and no 
value was put upon him. The children varied in age 
from four to twenty years. The mother was appraised 
at 30 pounds, the oldest son of 20 years at 50 pounds, 
down to the youngest boy of four years at 15 pounds. 

The slave family became the property of the widow 
of Rev. Mr. Weiss. In her will, dated May 9, 1765, 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



227 



she makes disposition of the slave family. She states 
that all of them have been baptized " to the Christian 
Protestant Reformed Religion." She directs that at 
her death all the negro slaves shall be free. She also 
states that some relatives of her deceased husband in 
Germany made claim to one-half of his estate, and in- 
tended to sell the slaves, which was " contrary to the 
sentiment and intention of my said deceased husband, 
who died intestate." Mrs. Weiss therefore directed 
that the negro children should be bound out to service 
as long as necessary to raise a sufficient sum of money 
to send them to the brothers and relatives of Mr. Weiss 
in Germany as their share of his estate. 

Unfortunately the will and wish of Mr. and Mrs. 
Weiss in reference to the liberation of their slaves were 
not carried out. The slaves were sold, but a strange 
fatality set in and one by one they died in rapid 
succession. The owner of one of the girls, hearing of 
the mortality among the family, liberated her. 

There were other slave owners in the Goshenhoppen 
region. In 1750 a slave murdered the wife of David 
Schultz, who resided near Xew Goshenhoppen church. 
A slave of Adam Hillegass tried to poison his wife, but 
failed. On Jan. 26, 1766, two slaves were brought to 
the pastor of Xew Goshenhoppen church for baptism 
by Thomas May bury. 

Rev. John P. Boehm died without making a will. 
In the appraisement of his property we find this item : 
" Three servants, two boys and one girl, £30." Who 
these servants were would be difficult to explain. We 
do not think they were negro slaves, else the fact would 



228 EARLY HISTORY 

be stated. But they appear to have been slaves, be- 
cause they were enumerated as property. Most likely 
they were white Redernptioners — persons sold at Phila- 
delphia to pay for their passage across the ocean. 

America is indebted for many good things to Re- 
formed Holland. It has often been shown that the 
American republic is based upon principles imported 
from Holland. The Reformed Church in this country 
owes very much to Holland for the care and aid given 
her during her infancy and formative period. But we 
received one thing through Holland for which we cannot 
be thankful — slavery. Slavery in our country com- 
menced in 1619, when a Dutch vessel brought a cargo 
of slaves into Virginia. Of course this was a matter 
of business, and the people of Holland as a nation were 
not responsible for it. In 1713 the English govern- 
ment, by the treaty of Utrecht, secured the contract for 
supplying slaves to the Spanish West Indies. The 
trade was profitable and soon reached large proportions. 
From Virginia slavery was also introduced to some of 
the other colonies. There were early protests against 
the traffic in human beings. 

Already on Feb. 18, 1688, the Mennonites of Ger- 
mantown protested against slavery. Their protest is 
interesting and contains numerous quaint sentences. 
We quote one paragraph : 

" If once these slaves (weh they say are so wicked 
and stubborn men) should joint themselves, fight for 
their freedom and handel their masters and mastrisses, 
as they did handel them before ; will these masters and 
mastrisses tacke the sword at hand and warr against 
these poor slaves, like we are able to believe, some will 
not refuse to doe ? Or have these negers not as much 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



229 



right to fight for their freedom, as you have to keep 
them slaves ?" 

The signers of this petition, who certainly deserve 
remembrance, were Garret Hendricks, Derick Op de 
Graff, Francis Daniel Pastorius, Abraham Op den Graef, 
all Germans or Hollanders. This protest came up be- 
fore the yearly meeting of the Quakers on May 5, 
1688, but an evasive reply was given. 

There are also other protests against slavery from 
Pennsylvania Germans on record. The people of Bos- 
ton did the same in a town meeting in 1 701 . A number of 
Quakers preached against the system at an early day. 

The people generally were opposed to slavery in 
the colonies, but England forced it upon them. Vir- 
ginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Rhode Island 
passed laws prohibiting the slave trade, but they were 
vetoed by England. Pennsylvania passed such laws 
in 1712, 1714 and 1717, but in each case they were 
vetoed. However during the Revolution most of the 
colonies abolished slavery. When the constitution was 
formulated, the southern states demanded the continu- 
ance of slavery. 

In 1775 the " Pennsylvania Society for the Aboli- 
tion of Slavery" was organized, and continued its ex- 
istence until its purpose had been accomplished by the 
Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln in 
1863. The first president of this society was Benjamin 
Franklin, that great statesman and philanthropist. 

Slavery in Pennsylvania was abolished by an act 
passed by the Assembly on March 1, 1780, by a vote 
of34to21. The bill was prepared and urged by 
George Bryan, formerly vice president of the state. 



230 



EARLY HISTORY 



45. 

LIBERTY OF THE PEOPLE. 

The Reformed Church has had a good deal of 
trouble with some of her people on the subject of lib- 
erty. This has been the cause of trouble from the be- 
ginning of the Church in Pennsylvania, and it has not 
yet fully subsided. There are still quite a number of 
congregations, especially in Berks county, which have 
what are called independent charters. They are Re- 
formed in doctrine, but they are independent of synod- 
ical authority. 

We iind this independent spirit already in 1730 in 
the congregation in Philadelphia. When Rev. Mr. 
Boehm sought to carry out the wishes of the Holland 
Fathers, he was met with the reply : " We are in a 
free country, and the Classis of Holland has no right 
to give orders hereabout." Mr. Boehm declared it as 
his belief that this spirit had been infused by Rev. 
Geo. M. Weiss. When Weiss went to Europe in this 
year (1730) his place was taken by a Rev. Mr. Miller, 
who acted in the same spirit. It was this spirit largely 
which had caused the trouble and division at Skippack. 

We find this spirit again in the congregation in 
Philadelphia during the Schlatter-Steiner controversy 
in 1750. The opponents of Rev. Mr. Schlatter claimed 
that it was his purpose to take away their liberty and 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



231 



to domineer over them. And when the Coetus (Synod) 
decided against them, they repudiated its authority. 
This same policy has since then been followed by many 
congregations. 

There is no doubt that this independent spirit was 
infused into the people in the beginning by designing 
ministers who refused to come under the rules of the 
Coetus or who could not enter it for reasons. Some of 
these ministers could not secure recommendations be- 
fore coming to America for various reasons. One of 
these reasons was their bad character. None of these 
were accepted by the Coetus. They then used their 
influence against this body. They told the people that 
the Coetus purposed enslaving the people, as had been 
the case in Europe, and they warned them to have 
nothing to do with this body. Unfortunately many 
people were only too ready to listen to these men, and 
the result was great difficulty in providing godly min- 
isters for the people. These independent ministers 
were concerned principally about their bread, and used 
any means which would aid them in securing it. 

The singular part is that this independent spirit 
has continued so long. The people must have ob- 
served that the Coetus was composed of the best min- 
isters, and that its object was to aid the people and not 
to subjugate them. There is some excuse for the posi- 
tion of the early settlers. They had come to America 
to escape religious persecution, and were sensitive on 
the subject of religious liberty. Then they had not 
much means of information. Again, there was great 
spiritual destitution among them, and they readily took 



232 



EARLY HISTORY 



up with any one who represented himself as a minister. 
Then there were some persons who were not ardent 
Christians, and with them the character of the minister 
was not important. With them almost any person 
would do for a minister. This is evident from the fact 
that a number of ministers without moral character had 
their followers. 

The same thing occurred frequently in more recent 
years. In the year 1829 public meetings were held in 
Heidelberg and Exeter townships, Berks county, and 
Cocalico, Lancaster county, to protest against the or- 
ganization of Bible Societies, Sunday School Onion, 
Theological Seminaries, Tract Societies, Missionary So- 
cieties, etc. It was represented that such societies and 
institutions were managed by ministers and calculated 
to enslave the people, as had been the case in Europe. 
No minister connected with such institutions was to be 
supported. The resolutions adopted at these meetings 
speak of priestcraft, destruction of civil and religious 
liberty, union of Church and state, etc. The Exeter 
meeting condemned the Reformed Church Synod of the 
year 1829 because it advocated a stricter observance of 
the Sabbath. In those days already there was much 
desecration of the holy day. The representatives in 
the Legislature and Congress were instructed " to sup- 
press, with their most earnest exertion, every measure 
calculated to curtail the rights of conscience." Rev. 
William Hendel, D. D., of Womelsdorf, had much to 
suffer from the people, because he had been an ardent 
supporter of the movement for a theological seminary 
in the Reformed Church. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



233 



Conditions are different now. People may know 
better, and there is no excuse for the independent at- 
titude toward the organized Church which still ex- 
ists in some places. People have had opportunity to 
learn. They should all know that it is the purpose of 
the Church to foster the interests of the people, and not 
to oppress them. We believe the old independent 
spirit would long since have died out entirely but for 
some independent ministers who agitated against Clas- 
sis and Synod for selfish purposes. 



16 



234 



EARLY HISTORY 



46. 

BOEHM'S CHURCH. 

This place of worship is located in Whitpain town- 
ship, Montgomery county, Pa., sixteen miles north of 
Philadelphia. The congregation was organized in 
1740 by Rev. John Philip Boehru, who resided on a 
farm near by. He came to America in 1 720, and did 
much to establish the Reformed Church, as stated in 
the first part of this volume. Before the organization 
of the congregation he had for years preached in pri- 
vate houses. He served the congregation until his 
death, April 29, 1749. Soon after the organization of 
the congregation a small church was erected, in which 
Rev. Mr. Boehm is said to have helped with his own 
hands. The church was erected of stone, with very 
thick walls and a very steep roof. The little pulpit 
was reached by a winding stairway, and was sur- 
mounted with a sounding board. The pulpit was 
made of solid walnut. When the church was demol- 
ished in 1818, much of the wood of the old pulpit was 
used in making various keepsakes which were long 
preserved by the members. In this little church Rev. 
Mr. Boehm preached until his death in 1749. He 
was buried under the altar in the church. It was cus- 
tomary for the female catechumens to wear neat white 
caps at confirmation. For a loug time the women re- 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



235 



moved their hats at communion and wore white caps 
on this occasion. After the death of Pastor Boehm 
Rev. Michael Schlatter supplied the people until 1755. 
During the Revolution the small church was used as a 
hospital by the American army. A number of soldiers 
died in it and were buried in the adjoining graveyard. 

The little stone church served the small congrega- 
tion during seventy-eight years. In 1818 the present 
church was erected at a cost of about $4000. It is a 
two-story building, with galleries on three sides. In 
this second church the grave of Rev. Mr. Boehm came 
to be in the southeastern corner. An arch was erected 
over the grave. 

In 1870 the church was remodeled and enlarged at 
an expense of $5438.05. Until this time the grave of 
Mr. Roehm had not been marked in any way. In 
1870 a tablet was placed on the inside wall in his 
memory, after his body had rested here one hundred 
and twenty years. On the outside wall is found a 
plain marble slab containing the words : " Boehm's 
Meeting House, founded 1740, built 1818." At an- 
other place is a date stone with the inscription: 
" Boehm's Church, founded 1740, rebuilt 1818, en- 
larged 1870." The old windows of the church were re- 
moved and memorial windows inserted One of these 
is the gift of the descendants of Rev. Michael Schlatter. 

In 1903 the church was again remodeled and a 
Sunday school annex erected at a cost of over $5000. 
The Sunday school was organized on July 27, 1834, 
with 17 teachers and 117 scholars. 

From the beginning in 1740 until the year 1814 
the services were conducted entirely in the German 



236 



EARLY HISTORY 



language. In the latter year English services were in- 
troduced for the first time, but then only once every 
six weeks. In the course of time the German lan- 
guage was entirely superseded by the English language. 

At present Boehm's congregation numbers a little 
over 300 members, with 225 members in the Sunday 
school. The present pastor is Rev. Edgar V. Loucks. 

Boehm's congregation at an early period felt the 
need of a parochial school, and already in 1760 pur- 
chased a lot of ground and erected a school house 
upon it. 



OF THE EEFOEMED CHUECH. 



237 



47. 

FAMILY OF REV. JOHN PHILIP BOEHM. 

The following facts relating to the family of Rev. 
John P. Boehm are interesting. 

Rev. John Philip Boehm was married in Europe 
to Anna Maria Sherer, daughter of Philip Sherer. 
On Sept. 9, 1736, Rev. Mr. Boehm purchased 200 
acres of land in Whitpain township, Montgomery 
county, Pa., at a cost of £165, 13s., Id. Here he re- 
sided until his death in 1749. Their children were: 
Anthony William Boehm, Anna Maria Boehm, Sevina 
Boehm, Elizabeth Boehm, Maria Philippina Boehm 
and John Philip Boehm. 

1. Anthony William Boehm was born in the city 
of Worms in 1714. The date of birth and baptism are 
recorded in the Reformed church book at Worms. He 
settled in Upper Saucon township, now Lehigh county, 
upon land which his father had taken up. Here he 
died and was buried in a private graveyard. A few 
years ago his grave was discovered. His tombstone 
contains this inscription in German : " Here rests in 
God Anton Wilhelm Boehm, born April 27, 1714, in 
Worms. Died April 6, 1766. Aged 52 years." His 
wife's first name was Phillis. They had one child — 
Philip Boehm. This son Philip Boehm was a promi- 
nent man during the Revolution. He was a lieutenant 



238 



EARLY HISTORY 



colonel of the militia of Northampton county, and was 
in 1777 appointed a paymaster. He was also coroner 
of Northampton county. In later life he appears to 
have become poor, for in 1797 Jacob Ochs, a son-in- 
law, was bound to support Philip Boehm and his wife 
during their natural lives. The couple had three chil- 
dren : Anthony Boehm, a tanner ; Boehm, wife 

of Jacob Ochs, and Philip Boehm, who married a 
daughter of Philip Wasser. David Boehm, a son of 
the above Anthony Boehm, was born at Hellertown, 
Pa., on Sept. 15, 1812, and died on Nov. 3, 1899. He 
was buried at Apple's church. He was a great-great- 
grandson of Rev. John Philip Boehm. 

2. Sevina Boehm was married to Ludwig Bitting, 
of Lower Milford township, now Lehigh county. Mr. 
Bitting's parents came from the Pa)atinate in 1723. 
From 1736 to 1746 Mr. Bitting was a member of the 
Great Swamp Reformed church, and was a member of 
the Legislature from 1758 to 1760. He was born in 
1703 and died in 1775. One of his daughters was the 
wife of Franz Leidich, a son of Rev. John Philip Lei- 
dich, a well-known Reformed minister. 

3. Elizabeth Boehm married George Shambob, a 
weaver of Upper Milford. He took up 230 acres of 
land in this township in 1740. 

4. Maria Philippina Boehm married Cornelius De- 
wees, cooper. In 1745 he took up thirty acres of land 
on the Skippack road for £108. In 1751 the family 
resided in Gloucester county, New Jersey. 

5. John Philip Boehm, the youngest child of Rev. 
John Philip Boehm, was married on August 2, 1753, 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



239 



by the Reformed minister in Philadelphia to Anna 
Maria Yost, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Yost, of 
Whitpain township. She was born May 1, 1734. He 
resided upon his father's homestead of 200 acres near 
Boehm's church, which he acquired by settlement with 
the other heirs of his father. About 1760 he removed 
to Philadelphia and engaged in the mercantile busi- 
ness. He united with the Reformed church there, and 
was soon after made an officer. He was very active 
during the erection of the second church, in 1771-74, 
In 1777 he was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 
Philadelphia. He died on Sept. 17, 1790, and was 
buried in the Reformed graveyard on Race street. 
He bequeathed £50 to the Reformed church in Phila- 
delphia. His children were Elizabeth, Philip, Daniel^ 
Maria, Philip, Jacob, Daniel, Elizabeth. It is remark- 
able that the names of Elizabeth, Philip and Daniel 
are repeated in this family. It is accounted for by the 
fact that those first bearing these names died young. 
Daniel succeeded to the business of his father. Philip, 
brother of Daniel, was a merchant in 1793, and resided 
at 96 North Second street. He died on Nov. 19, 1806. 

A number of Boehni descendants are still residing 
in Lehigh and Northampton counties. 



240 



EARLY HISTORY 



48. 

THE CHURCH AT CONESTOGA. 

The early records of the Reformed Church contain 
references to the church at Conestoga. There have 
been many misapprehensions of these references. The 
term Conestoga means a large district rather than one 
single place. It means the region through which the 
Conestoga flows. This definition is confirmed by Rev. 
(Conrad Tempelman, who says in an official report : 
" Conestoga is not a city, but a district deriving this 
name from a certain stream so called." After some 
years the name came to mean the town Lancaster, 
which was laid out in 1730. 

The first Reformed preacher in the Conestoga re- 
gion was Rev. Conrad Tempelman, the pious tailor 
from Lebanon county, who was pressed into the minis- 
try by the people on account of the want of ministers. 
A few years later he was joined in the work by Rev. 
John P. Boehm, of Montgomery county. (See sketches 
of these two pioneer ministers on page 35.) The two 
ministers commenced preaching at about the same time, 
in 1720. There were then no regularly organized con- 
gregations or churches anywhere in the state. Rev. 
Mr. Tempelman in one of his reports states that " the 
Church in Conestoga took its origin in 1725, with a 
small gathering here and there in houses, with the 



OF THE EEFOBMED CHUECH. 



241 



reading of a sermon, and with song and prayer, upon 
all Sundays and Holy Days/' 

Rev. Mr. Boehm administered the communion in 
Conestoga on Oct. 15, 1727. He states that this was 
the first time that the sacrament was administered 
there. "We cannot state at what particular place this 
was, but believe it to have been at Heller's, now called 
Salem church. On account of the extent of the dis- 
trict the Reformed people met in different places in 
private houses. By and by the region was divided 
into six districts with a preaching place in each. At 
first these places appear to have been supplied by Revs. 
Tempelman and Boehm. Mr. Boehm complains in 
one of his reports to Holland that Rev. John Peter 
Miller, of Tulpehocken, had crowded him out at some 
of these places in Conestoga. He also says that Rev. 
Geo. M. Weiss slandered him and drew the " congre- 
gation" to himself. Tempelman also states that Mil- 
ler had been preaching at three of the six places. 
Weiss on October 2, 1727, in a letter to a Mr. Schwab 
at Conestoga offered to administer the communion to 
the people there, which he also did. 

Where were the six preaching places above men- 
tioned '? The question is not difficult in reference to 
several, but the location of the others is involved in 
some doubt. 

1. The Hill church is undoubtedly Salem or Hel- 
ler's in Upper Leacock township, about seven miles 
east of Lancaster. Boehm speaks of the Hill church 
being six miles from Lancaster. This offers no serious 
discrepeucy. In Boehm's time, when the roads led 



242 



EARLY HISTORY 



mostly through wildernesses, distances were not meas- 
ured accurately. The distance from Heller's to Co- 
calico church is about six miles, as Boehm states. It 
has been suggested that the term Hill would suit Kis- 
sel Hill, near Lititz, better than Heller's. But the 
site at Heller's is located upon an eminence ; besides 
there is no documentary evidence that there was a 
church at Kissel Hill in early times. Rev. Mr. Boehm 
states that on May 30, 1730, a large congregation was 
gathered and requested to be organized. On this occa- 
sion there were 75 communicants. On February 11, 
1743, Philip Scot deeded to John Lein and Michael 
Weidler " two acres of land adjoining Jacob Heller's 
land, whereon the meeting-house now stands," for the 
use of the congregation. In 1748 John Lein was re- 
ported present at Coetus as an elder " from the earliest 
congregation established in Conestoga, on May 30, 
1730." It is known that Lein was a member at Hel- 
ler's. The date of the organization must be accepted 
as given above by Boehm. In a document in the cor- 
nerstone of the present church it is stated : " This con- 
gregation was founded in the year 1722 by a number 
of German Reformed fathers. Their first house was 
built in 1722, repaired in 1802, rebuilt and enlarged 
in 1838 by the same congregation." This statement 
contains two evident errors. The first church was not 
erected in 1722. Then it was not enlarged in 1838 
" by the same congregation." The organization took 
place in 1730. It is probable that Tempelman com- 
menced to hold services in 1722. There was a small 
log church erected there, but the date is unknown. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 243 

The church had no wooden floor, the ground serving 
this purpose, and slabs served as seats. Documents of 
1742 prove the existence of the church. After the 
church in Lancaster had been erected in 1736, the 
members at Heller's went there, and the congregation 
at the latter place was allowed to die, but the right to 
the property was kept up. Thus there was no congre- 
gation there for many years until 1830, when Rev. 
Daniel Herz, of Ephrata, organized a new Salem con- 
gregation at the old place with nine members, and 
served them as pastor from that time until 1867, when 
Rev. D. W. Gerhard, D. D., the present pastor, suc- 
ceeded him. There was a long gap in the history of the 
congregation, and the statement in reference to the or- 
ganization in 1722 is mere tradition. But Heller's 
was the first Reformed congregation in Lancaster 
county. 

2. The second congregation was Gocalico, after- 
wards named Bethany, whose church location was 
about a mile from Ephrata. In the year 1894 the 
place of worship was transferred to the town of Eph- 
rata, where a neat church was purchased and remod- 
eled. The names of Goehr and Werns, two of the elders 
mentioned by Tempelman, appear in the records of 
that congregation. The time when the congregation 
was fully organized is not known, but it is believed to 
have been in 1738, in which year the first baptismal 
record was made. 

3. The third congregation was Lancaster. John 
Jacob Hock, one of the elders mentioned by Tempel- 
man, was called by the congregation as its first pastor. 



244 



EARLY HISTORY 



He was a pious layman, and no doubt had served the 
people in conducting worship, like Tempelman and 
Boehm. The time of the organization of the congre- 
gation is not known, but it was likely between 1730 
and 1736. The town was laid out in the former year, 
and the settlement increased after that. The church 
was erected in 1736, and dedicated on June 20, being 
Whit Sunday. The above named John Jacob Hock 
preached the sermon. It was the first house of wor- 
ship dedicated in the new town. It was a log build- 
ing, as were nearly all the first churches. Hock also 
preached at Cocalico (Bethany). It appears that as 
soon as an ordained minister could be secured, Mr. 
Hock retired. In 1739 Rev. John B. Rieger became 
pastor. 

The three congregations supplied by Rev. John Peter 
Miller are believed to have been Zeltenreich, Royers 
(Brickerville) and Muddy Creek. 

4. Zeltenreich church was located near New Hol- 
land. We are unable to give the date of the organiza- 
tion of the congregation, but it was before 1746. In 
the early Coetal records this congregation is known as 
Erlentown. After being long supplied by visiting 
ministers, its first pastor was Rev. John B. Rieger. 
The church was named after Andreas Zeltenreich, who 
donated the ground upon which the original log church 
was erected, but failed to convey it legally to the con- 
gregation during his lifetime. This was done by his 
son George and his wife, Mary C, on Dec. 22, 1760. 
In 1799 the log church, in which the people had wor- 
shiped a long time, had become very dilapidated, and 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



245 



it was resolved to erect a new church in a more central 
place. In 1799 and 1800 a brick church was erected 
in the village of New Holland upon a lot donated by 
Matthias Shirk. This church bears the name of St. 
Stephen's. The cost of erection was $5827.38. To 
raise money for this church the Legislature authorized 
the congregation to arrange a lottery. There is no 
record at hand of the result of this lottery. The origi- 
nal ground was still used as a burial ground. In 1841 
members of the Reformed Church and others erected 
the present Zeltenreich church, to be used by various 
denominations. Soon after this time Rev. Daniel Herz 
reorganized the Reformed congregation, which now 
numbers about 175 members. Other denominations 
now seldom hold services in the church, except on fun- 
eral occasions. The congregation now belongs to the 
New Holland charge, whose pastor is Rev. J. G. 
Noss. 

5. Brickerville church is located some distance 
north of Lititz, and was first named after Sebastian 
Royer, who took up a large tract of land in 1743. In 
1 747 the Reformed people purchased several acres from 
him for a church and graveyard. It is believed that a 
congregation was organized in this year. In 1748 a 
church was erected. During the Revolution this church 
was used as a hospital, presumably after the battle of 
Brandywine, as was the cloister at Ephrata. Some of 
the wounded soldiers died in the church and are buried 
in its graveyard. In the deed the congregation is at 
one place called German Reformed church, and at an- 
other Dutch Reformed church. In a release the con- 



246 



EARLY HISTORY 



gregation is called " Evangelical Reformation Presby- 
terian Meeting." 

6. Muddy Creek church is located two miles west 
of Adamstown, and is named after a small stream. 
The first person to conduct services here for the Re- 
formed people was Conrad Tempelman. He was fol- 
lowed for a short time by Rev. John Peter Miller, who 
recorded the first baptisms. Subsequently Mr. Tempel- 
man served a long time as pastor. The congregation 
was organized probably soon after 1730. The first 
(log) church was erected soon after. It was in this 
church that Rev. Michael Schlatter first met Rev. Mr. 
Tempelman at a communion service in 1747, and was 
so well pleased with him that he recommended his or- 
dination. The congregation received one of the Ger- 
man Bibles brought to this country by Mr. Schlatter, 
and this interesting volume is still at hand. Unfor- 
tunately the title page is missing. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



247 



49. 

WORTHLESS PREACHERS. 

In the early history of the Reformed people, that is 
before and after the organization of the Coetus in 1747, 
there was a considerable number of irregular preachers 
in Pennsylvania. Some of them had been school teach- 
ers and others mechanics in the Fatherland. Because 
of the lack of ministers these men undertook to exer- 
cise the office of the Christian ministry, and in this way 
much harm was done. The damage was caused mainly 
by the fact that some of these men were of intemperate 
habits. The school teachers were sufficiently educated, 
and with pious hearts could have done good. John 
Philip Boehm, the pious school teacher, and Conrad 
Tempelman, the pious tailor, are examples of what 
godly laymen may accomplish in the absence of regu- 
larly ordained ministers. 

Some of these unworthy men took to preaching as 
the easiest way of earning a living. Pev. Mr. Schlat- 
ter refers to these in his report of 1746. After refer- 
ring to the few faithful ministers, he says : " There are 
many hirelings and tramps, who from being shoemak- 
ers, tailors or weavers, in one hour became preachers, 
and were changed by the innocent people for lack of 
other measures/' As stated above, some lacked char- 
acter, but the people were patient, because they had a 



248 



EARLY HISTORY 



desire for religious ministrations, and could not get reg- 
ular preachers at the time. Had all been like Boehm 
and Tempelman, nothing could be said against them. 

When Rev. Michael Schlatter came here in 1746 
with authority to exercise an oversight over the scat- 
tered and unorganized Reformed people, these irregular 
preachers naturally became uneasy, because they real- 
ized that their occupation was about to come to an end. 
Some refused to recognize Schlatter's authority, whilst 
others received him with due respect and offered to 
cease performing ministerial acts, upon condition that 
he secure positions for them as school teachers, or to 
help them to some other means of support. Schlatter 
did what he could in this line, but there were not many 
positions for teachers open. One of those who refused 
to accept the new order of things was Fred. Cassimir 
Miller, who had been preaching to some ten small con- 
gregations in Oley and elsewhere. He declared he 
would cause as much disunion and dissension as lay in 
his power. Mr. Schlatter had offered to ask the Hol- 
land Fathers whether he should be ordained, like Mr. 
Boehm, provided he should cease to administer the sac- 
raments and perform marriages until an answer could 
be received. Miller assented to this, but soon changed 
his mind and did as before. Schlatter therefore did not 
ask for his ordination. 

The Church continued to be afflicted with indepen- 
dent preachers, some without moral character, long af- 
ter ministers had become more plentiful. There was 
no longer any excuse for the people tolerating such 
men. It was largely this class of preachers who stirred 
up the people against the early institutions of the 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 249 



Church. They told the people that a theological semi- 
nary was intended as a means to enslave the people, 
and that if they would submit they would soon be per- 
secuted by a priesthood as their fathers had been perse- 
cuted in Germany. Such arguments had their desired 
effect upon many ignorant, narrow-minded people. 
But those days are past. The people know better now. 

We have neither desire nor space to enumerate the 
cases of the irregular and unworthy men referred to. 
We will mention only one incident. It is related that 
one of these unworthy men, named Fritz, on one occa- 
sion ascended the pulpit of DeLong's church in Berks 
county in a state of intoxication. He undertook to 
preach on the words " Follow me/' when he lost bis 
balance and tumbled down the pulpit steps, with the 
words " follow me" in his mouth. One of the elders 
arose and said : " No, brethren, we will not follow 
him !" The man was sent away immediately. 

The Lutheran Church was afflicted in this way the 
same as the Reformed Church. In 1754 Rev. Henry 
M. Muhlenberg complains about the vicious vagabonds 
without orders, who stirred up the Germans against 
pious and regularly ordained ministers. He mentions 
a number by name who were guilty of crimes, and 
pretended to be Lutheran ministers. He expressed the 
belief that good order could not be restored among the 
people until the government would " demand proper 
credentials of all who exercise the ministry, and not 
suffer vagabonds to laugh at us who are regular clergy- 
men, by saying it is a free country, and by turning 
liberty into licentiousness." 
17 



250 



EARLY HISTORY 



50. 

FIRST CHURCH NORTH OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS. 

For a long time the Blue Mountains formed the 
northern boundary of Pennsylvania. All beyond was 
an unexplored wilderness. Soon after 1750 a^n umber 
of German people from Berks county passed through 
the Schuylkill gap at what is now Port Clinton and 
settled in Pine Valley. They were occasionally vis- 
ited by Rev. Daniel Schumacher, then pastor of Trin- 
ity Lutheran church at Reading, who ministered to 
them in spiritual things. In 1754 they commenced 
the erection of a small log church, which was com- 
pleted in 1755. The congregation was called Zion's 
Lutheran church. Before the humble little house of 
worship could be dedicated the wild and ferocious In- 
dians suddenly swooped down upon the settlement, 
burned the church and their houses, murdered some of 
them and carried their children into captivity, whilst 
some others escaped across the mountains into Berks 
county, where they found succor in the Tulpehocken 
and Maxatawny settlements. The massacre was a re- 
sult of the Indian war. 

After a few years those who had escaped returned 
to Schuylkill county, buried the bones of those who 
had been murdered and re-established their homes. In 
1765 they commenced the erection of a new and larger 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



251 



log church upon the old site, which was completed in 
1770. Rev. Daniel Schumacher continued to serve 
these people until 1782. In 1799 the old log church 
erected in 1770 was demolished and the erection of a 
larger stone church commenced. It was "completed 
only in 1803, and dedicated on May 29 and 30 of that 
year. 

About the year 1778 a considerable number of Re- 
formed people settled in the same region. A few had 
come earlier. In 1795 they erected a church within a 
few rods of the Lutheran church, and called Rev. B. J. 
Decker as their pastor. He was succeeded by Revs. 
Hartzell, Kroll and Ph. Mayer. In 1863 both con- 
gregations united and worshiped jointly in the Luth- 
eran church, whilst the old Reformed church was de- 
molished. The union continues to this day. In 1883 
the present frame church was dedicated. It was 
painted red, and on this account is known as the " red" 
church. At a later period it was painted white, but 
this caused great dissatisfaction, and it was again 
painted red. In 1808 a pipe organ was installed, 
which was made at Quakertown. It is still in use. 



252 



EARLY HISTORY 



51. 

A MINISTER'S TRAGIC DEATH. 

In 1748 two new ministers were sent to Pennsyl- 
vania by the Fathers in Holland, in response to ear- 
nest appeals made to them. These two ministers were 
Revs. John Jacob Hochreutiner and Dominicus Bar- 
tholomaeus. They arrived at Rev. Mr. Schlatter's house 
in Philadelphia on August 13, 1748. The former was 
intended to become pastor at Lancaster and the latter 
at Tulpehocken. There was great joy among the peo- 
ple at those places on account of the prospect of soon 
having pastors. But the joy of the Lancaster people 
was soon turned into deep sorrow. 

Mr. Hochreutiner preached an acceptable trial ser- 
mon at Lancaster, and the people at once gave him a 
call, which he accepted. He returned to Philadelphia 
and prepared for his settlement at Lancaster. In Oc- 
tober an elder was sent from Lancaster to Philadelphia 
to bring the new pastor to his field of labor. On Octo- 
ber 14 the elder reached the house of Rev. Mr. Schlat- 
ter in Philadelphia with a horse for the new minister's 
use. At the same moment an accident happened to 
Rev. Mr. Hochreutiner which suddenly ended his life. 
He had brought a gun with him from Europe, which 
he loaded before leaving the ship, thinking he was 
about to enter a wild country. During his visit to 



OF THE REFOEMED CHURCH. 



253 



Lancaster he changed his mind on this point, and be- 
fore starting for Lancaster he concluded to withdraw 
the charge from the gun. But the gun was suddenly 
discharged, and the minister was killed. Rev. Mr. 
Schlatter was not at home. When Mrs. S. went into 
the room, she found the new minister dead on the 
floor ! The elder now returned to Lancaster with the 
sad news that the expected new pastor was dead. Mr. 
Hochreutiner had prepared an excellent introductory 
sermon, which was found in his pocket. It is said 
that many tears were shed at the funeral of this man 
on October 16. Rev. Mr. Schlatter preached the 
sermon. 



254 



EAKLY HISTORY 



52. 

EARLY DEFECTIONS. 

There have always been transitions from one de- 
nomination to another on the part of members and min- 
isters, and in some cases of congregations. 

There were early divisions in Reformed congrega- 
tions. In 1727 or 1728 a division occurred in the 
Skippack congregation soon after the first Reformed 
church in this state had been erected. — In 1750 Rev. 
John C. Steiner and his party seceded from the Re- 
formed congregation in Philadelphia and erected a sep- 
arate church on Race street. The enterprise failed. — 
In 1762 Rev. Frederick Rothenbiihler, who had been 
dismissed by the Reformed congregation in Philadel- 
phia on account of intemperance, organized an inde- 
pendent congregation under the name of St. George's, 
and erected a new church on Fourth street. But this 
movement was also a failure. The people got into debt, 
and some of them were thrown into prison for it. In 
1770 the building was sold and purchased for the use 
of St. George's M. E. church, and is still known as 
such. The Reformed congregation disbanded. 

The first transition from the Reformed Church to 
another denomination occurred in 1 806, as a result of a 
language controversy. In 1805 an effort was made to 
introduce English services in the congregation in Phil- 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



255 



adelphia, but the motion was lost by a tie vote in the 
consistory. In the following year (1806) those in 
favor of English services withdrew and organized a 
separate congregation. At first they were served by a 
Presbyterian minister, and subsequently the congrega- 
tion united with the Reformed Dutch Church. They 
erected a church on Crown street in 1810. 

The first instance of an organized congregation with 
its pastor going from the Reformed Church into an- 
other denomination occurred in 1856. Rev. Jacob 
HelrTenstein was pastor of the Reformed church in 
Germantown. Gradually he dissented from the views 
taught in the Reformed Seminary. On March 27, 
1853, he preached a strong sermon in this line. In 
1854 he made his last report to the Reformed Classis, 
stating that there were 445 communicants in the con- 
gregation. The congregation then declared itself in- 
dependent, and was later received into the Presbyterian 
Church, together with the pastor, Rev. Mr. Helffen- 
stein. Various efforts were made to prevent the tran- 
sition, but of no avail. Thus one of the largest con- 
gregations and most valuable properties were lost to 
the Reformed Church. 



256 



EARLY HISTORY 



53. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Pennsylvania was in early times called " the Prov- 
ince of Pennsylvania." All the original states or colo- 
nies were called provinces. The first record of the Re- 
formed congregation at Lancaster, Pa., is entitled : 
" Church Protocol of the newly built Reformed Church, 
here in the island of Pennsylvania, in Conastoken in 
the new town named Lancaster." The church was 
erected in 1736, and the first service was held in it on 
Whitsunday, June 20, of that year. The first pastor 
after the erection of the church was Rev. John Jacob 
Hock. The Lancaster congregation is one of the old- 
est in the denomination. In early times the whole 
region around Lancaster was called Conestoga on ac- 
count of the stream by that name. There was Re- 
formed preaching in this locality already in 1725 by 
Conrad Tempelman, a pious tailor from Lebanon 
county. There was neither an organized congregation 
nor church for some years, and the people came to- 
gether in private houses for worship. Because of the 
great extent of the territory there were at one time six 
preaching places, three of which were served by Rev. 
John P. Boehm and the other three by Rev. John 
Peter Miller. In the course of time congregations 
were established at several places, as also at Lancaster 



OF THE EEFOEMED CHUECH. 



257 



after the town bad been founded in 1730. The exact 
date of the organization of the congregation there is 
not known, but it is assumed that it was several years 
before the erection of the church in 1736. 

One of the early members and possibly one of the 
founders of the Reformed church in Lancaster, Pa., 
was Ludwig Christopher Franciscus. He was a Swiss, 
and emigrated to the new world early in the eighteenth 
century. He was born December 23, 1680, married in 
1718 and died September 27, 1757, as the epitaph on 
his tomb-tone tells us. He settled first at Pequea. 
The region was then a wilderness. Mr. F. lived in a 
log cabin. He is said to have been a man of great 
strength, courage and daring. One evening when all 
had retired except a daughter, Mr. Franciscus heard a 
noise at the door of the cabin. He opened the door, 
and at the same time a wolf seized him. Franciscus 
accepted the challenge, hugged the wolf tightly and 
called to his daughter to bring the butcher knife and 
rip open the breast of the wolf. She did so, and the 
wolf was killed. The place where this thrilling inci- 
dent occurred is Well known. The land was after- 
ward purchased by Daniel Zimmerman, who erected a 
fine house upon it in 1750. The early records of the 
Reformed church in Lancaster show that Franciscus 
was a prominent man, and took an active interest in 
the church. 

In early times candidates for naturalization were 
required to have a religious qualification. On July 25, 
1741, Rev. John P. Boehm wrote : " People are now 
naturalized in a different way. They must have lived 



258 



EARLY HISTORY 



seven years in Pennsylvania, be of the Protestant re- 
ligion, and must furnish a certificate from their minis- 
ters that they not more than three months ago have 
received the Lord's Supper. If this is found true, they 
are accepted, otherwise not. They must take an oath 
on these points." — This was done under an act of Par- 
liament in the thirteenth year of the reign of King 
George II. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania held 
its first session to naturalize persons in Philadelphia, 
Sept. 25-27, 1740. Foreigners who had resided here 
seven years and had received the Lord's Supper in 
some Protestant or Reformed congregation within 
three months could be naturalized. The proceedings 
of the Supreme Court state that foreigners thus quali- 
fied "became natural born subjects of Great Britain." 
Foreigners made American born ! — Rev. John B. Rie- 
ger was naturalized on one of the above days ; Rev. 
John Philip Boehm, April 10, 1741 ; Rev. Conrad 
Tempelman, April, 1743; Rev. Geo. M. Weiss, Sept. 
10,1761; Rev. Michael Schlatter, April 11, 1763.— 
The Quakers, of whom many were naturalized, were 
not required to furnish a certificate of communion. 

Various efforts were made to unite the two Re- 
formed Churches in this country. Already in 1743 the- 
Synods in Holland proposed a union between the two 
Reformed and the Presbyterian Churches in America, 
which was natural. The Holland Synods had been 
fostering the Dutch Reformed in New York and New 
Jersey, and were also manifesting an active interest in 
the German Reformed in Pennsylvania. But the 
German people declined the proposition. 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



259 



In 1768 three delegates of the Dutch Coetus of 
New York and New Jersey appeared before the Ger- 
man Coetus at Easton with a proposition to unite the 
two branches of the Reformed Church. They also 
proposed to send a united delegation to the Reformed 
Synods in Holland. The matter was discussed one 
evening until midnight. The German Coetus de- 
clared that a closer union would be desirable, but the 
proposition for a full union was incompatible with its 
relations to the Church in Holland. The latter body 
was greatly pleased with this action of the Reformed 
in Pennsylvania. 

The most recent effort to unite the two Reformed 
Churches in this country was made in the year 1888. 
The two General Synods took favorable action, and 
appointed committees to formulate a plan for a federal 
union. When this had been clone and the union was 
almost accomplished, the whole movement failed by 
the General Synod of the Dutch Church postponing 
final action indefinitely. 

With all our boasted superiority over our fathers, 
it is a question whether we are any better than they 
were, or even as good, religiously. There is every 
evidence that the people of former days were possessed 
of an earnest Christian spirit. The devotional spirit 
prevailed largely. The people had a zeal for religion 
and the house of God. We are told that during many 
years in the First Reformed church in Philadelphia a 
regular meeting for exhortation and prayer was held 
an hour before the morning and evening services of the 
Sabbath. These devotional meetings were conducted 
by pious laymen, and were of a refreshing character. 



260 



EARLY HISTORY 



There was also a time when nearly all the members 
upon taking their seats in church offered a silent 
prayer for the Lord's blessing upon the service. Some 
did this standing at the entrance of the pew. This 
pious habit is still practised at many places, but at 
some places it has been forgotten, especially in many 
country churches. Now people enter and take their 
seats as if the church were a public hall. 

One of the first instances of renting the pews in 
the church was that of the Reformed church in Lan- 
caster, Pa. The proposition to rent the church pews 
was made as early as 1772, but the opposition was so 
strong that the matter was then dropped. In 1773 the 
plan was renewed and carried by a small majority. 
Bat because of the opposition of the minority it proved 
a failure. Only a small number took pews. The mat- 
ter was discussed annually for some years and then 
abandoned, because the members could not be harmon- 
ized in the matter. The matter was allowed to rest 
for many years. In 1830 the plan of family seats was 
recommended to the consistory by Peter Reitzel, but it 
was not adopted until 1836. Then for the first time 
was the custom of renting the pews firmly and perma- 
nently established in that church. 

In Saur's paper of Sept. 1, 1750, appears an article 
in reference to one of a number of difficulties in the 
church at Lancaster. Some of the members locked the 
church door against the minister, because they believed 
he was unfit to preach. The charge against him was 
that he had been instructing a young lady privately 
under suspicious circumstances. The parents objected 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



261 



to the arrangement. Some claimed that the minister 
had to leave Europe on account of immoral conduct, 
and for this reason could not bring recommendations 
with him. But the minister's friends opened the 
church by force. The}' claimed that the minister 
might still preach, and that parents might keep their 
daughters and servants at home ; that it was not likely 
that a better minister could be secured, and that those 
not wanted in Germany were usually of doubtful char- 
acter. They also argued " that the minister is already 
advanced in years, having no teeth in his mouth, and 
that he would not last long at any rate," etc. (Strange 
reasoning.) 

In an article in Saur's paper of October 16, 1750, 
Rev. J. B. Rieger speaks about ministers of doubtful 
character. He mentions one point of peculiar interest, 
because the principle involved has been handed down 
to our day. Some people claimed that the ministers 
referred to might still preach ; that people might fol- 
low their words, but not their example. We have 
heard this foolish distinction in our day. Formerly 
there were several intemperate ministers in eastern 
Pennsylvania, and some people did not see much 
wrong about them. They claimed that these men 
could preach, and people could accept their words 
without following their examples. Such people are 
spiritually blind. 

The name of Rev. Michael Schlatter is spelled in 
different ways. He himself wrote it frequently Slatter, 
and sometimes it was written Slaughter. 

The early Reformed people were frequently called 
" High Dutch Reformed Calvinists." Rev. Mr. Schlat- 



262 



EARLY HISTORY 



ter is named as the pastor of these people in Philadel- 
phia in the passport which the governor, James Hamil- 
ton, issued to him on January 29, 1751, when he was 
about going to Europe to solicit money for the churches 
in Pennsylvania. — About six years after Reading had 
been laid out, viz., on May 20, 1754, two lots of 
ground, each 60 by 230 feet, were conveyed by Thomas 
and Richard Penn to the " Religious Society of the 
Dutch Reformed Calvinists." — Sometimes they were 
known also as Presbyterians. 

In 1757 the Coetus states that the Presbyterians 
had appointed four days in the year for public prayer 
and repentance " in these wicked and troublous times," 
aud the Coetus resolved to follow their example and 
celebrate the same days. 

Rev. D. Bartholomaeus, after a long illness, during 
which time he was largely aided by Coetus, died on 
July 28, 1768, and the Coetus also paid the funeral 
expenses, which amounted to three pounds. This was 
about $8.00. In those days money was worth more 
than now, and funerals were more simple. In 1815 
Rev. Philip Pauli died in Reading, and the congrega- 
tion paid the funeral expenses, which amounted to 
$26.66. John Roland, during about fifty years school- 
master at Reading, died in 1849, and was buried at the 
expense of the First church. The expenses amounted 
to $18. 

As an evidence of the devotion of the Germans to 
their mother tongue a letter from Rev. J. C. A. Helf- 
fenstein to the Executive Council of Pennsylvania may 
be cited. He was pastor of the Reformed church at 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



263 



Lancaster, and his letter is dated Jan. 11, 1778. It is 
a petition to have German papers circulated among the 
Germans to inform them of military and civil transac- 
tions, as was done by means of English papers. Mr. 
H. stated that the Germans could not read or under- 
stand English papers. 

Unfortunately a number of the ministers from Ger- 
many sent by Holland proved inefficient. Some could 
not accommodate themselves to American conditions, 
whilst others possessed no qualifications for the minis- 
try. Rev. Mr. Wittner was one of these. He was of 
a melancholy temperament, and, the Coetal minutes 
say, he " was despised and hated by everybody." The 
Coetus of 1770 says he is almost unfit for the ministry, 
and no one wanted him. For some time he was unem- 
ployed, and the Coetus aided him. Subsequently he 
served a charge in Lehigh county and got along better. 
In 1778 the Coetal minutes state that his poverty had 
been the main cause of the miserable condition of his 
body and mind. 

In 1769 a young minister named John W. Pithan 
came here and offered himself to the Coetus. He came 
from Germany and possessed testimonials showing that 
he had been ordained by the Palatinate Consistory. 
The Coetus recommended him to the congregations in 
and near Easton, which were vacant. But he was a 
failure. " He was accused and convicted of an offen- 
sive and godless life." He confessed his faults and 
was allowed to continue a while longer, with the under- 
standing that in case of further complaint he would be 
dismissed by the Coetus. He was deposed in 1771 
and became an " ecclesiastic vagabond." 



264 



EARLY HISTORY 



Another unfortunate minister was Rev. Peter Paul 
Pernisius, who came here with a daughter in 1784. 
(One authority says two daughters.) He owed 138 
florins for his passage, which the Coetus paid. He was 
at once sent to the congregations in New. Jersey, but 
these returned him soon. He was then offered to Leb- 
anon and vicinity, but he was not accepted. The mem- 
bers of the Coetus then persuaded the congregations in 
Northampton county to accept him, which was done. 
He remained there several years. In 1786 it is stated 
that he was useless in this country and would leave 
America if he had the money to do so. The Coetus 
did not possess the money either to support him or send 
him home. He was too old when he came here. The 
people asked why a man who is ready for the grave 
was compelled to undertake the wearisome journey to 
America. Besides, it was impossible for a man of Per- 
nisius' age to adapt himself to American conditions. 
The Coetus deplores that the Holland Fathers expended 
their money in sending three natives of Switzerland 
(Loretz, Pernisius and Willy, who came in the same 
ship), because they were failures. Pernisius was de- 
posed in 1789. In the summer of 1788 he was charged 
with having shot a Danish beggar to death. The cir- 
cumstantial evidence was very strong against him. He 
was committed to prison in Philadelphia. Dr. Wey- 
berg secured bail for him, and employed two lawyers 
to represent him. Dr. W. also paid over 28 pounds as 
costs to defend and free the prisoner, who escaped pun- 
ishment, but he soon showed his bad character. The 
record says he was " a continuous drunkard, swearer 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



265 



and blasphemer, and also a digger of hidden treasures, 
and a conjurer of the devil." 

Rev. Samuel Dubendorf came to this country in 
1776 as chaplain of some of the Hessian troops which 
England had hired to fight against the Americans. 
Mr. D. concluded to remain here, as did many of the 
Hessians. He had remained some time with the Brit- 
ish in New York. He was made pastor of the Re- 
formed church at Germantown, but the prejudice of 
the people destroyed his usefulness. He was a good 
and sincere man, but the people suspected him of sid- 
ing with the British. In 1780 he left Germantown 
and went to Lykens Valley, Dauphin county. He 
was then called an aged gentleman. In 1781 he com- 
plained to Coetus of the poverty of his congregations. 
He was poor and in great danger of the Indians. Coe- 
tus resolved to send him 15 pounds. In 1783 the 
Holland brethren agreed to send him 100 guilders. 
These statements are gleaned from the minutes of the 
Coetus. Mr. Reidemeister, of Philadelphia, a nephew 
of Mr. Dubendorf, under date of May 18, 1780, upon 
request of the Fathers in Holland, sent them a report 
of the case of his uncle, the minister. But his account 
differs from the above in one point. He says nothing 
about his coming here with the Hessians as chaplain. 
His voyage occupied twenty weeks. He was detained 
in New York four weeks until he could obtain a pass 
from the British Gen. Howe to go to Philadelphia. 

In 1782 a congregation in Westmoreland county 
asked for a minister. The region was then called " a 
new settlement, near Pittsburg." It was a new coun- 
18 



266 



EARLY HISTORY 



try and not well known. Rev. John W. Weber agreed 
to go out and labor there, and he thus became the pio- 
neer Reformed minister in western Pennsylvania. His 
charge is next year stated as consisting of Fort Pitt 
(Pittsburg), Hannatown, Hempfield and Mt. Pleasant. 
He did not attend the meetings of the Coetus until 
1787, on account of the great distance, and then again 
in 1791. 

In 1785 Mr. Ludovicus Chitara, a former Au- 
gustinian monk, requested to be admitted to the ser- 
vice of the Church. He had good testimonials. He 
was placed under the direction of Revs. Hendel and 
Weyberg. In the year following he was publicly ex- 
amined by Coetus and found acceptable. He was re- 
quested to wait another year for ordination, but mean- 
while engage in pastoral work, excepting the admini- 
stration of the sacraments, under the supervision of a 
minister. Mr. Chitara was poor, and the Coetus had 
by this time expended over 32 pounds for board and 
clothing for him. In 1788 the Coetus resolved to or- 
dain him in the church at Knowlton, N. J. The Hol- 
land Fathers criticised this act. This is probably the 
only case of its kind in the history of the Reformed 
Church. This man must have been a giant-like look- 
ing person. He was seven feet tall, and married a 
lady nearly of his own size. She died, leaving one 
son. About eight weeks later Mr. Chitara also died, 
after having preached four or five years. Mr. Chitara 
was undoubtedly the tallest person who ever graced 
the Reformed ministry. Dr. B. S. Schneck, who with 
Dr. T. L. Hoffeditz went to Germany in 1843 to call 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



267 



Dr. F. W. Kruruniacher to a professorship in the new 
theological seminary, was also a good deal over six 
feet tall. While in Germany the two visited Berlin 
and attended a review of Prussian troops. Presently 
the captain of the king's body guard, observing the 
tall form of Dr. Schneck, sought to enlist him for the 
guard. The king's body guard was composed exclu- 
sively of tall men. Dr. Schneck informed the captain 
that he was already a soldier of a King, but whose 
kingdom is not of this world. 

Like all others, the Reformed people were unfa- 
vorably affected during the Revolutionary period. The 
people were naturally excited, and the war interfered 
greatly with the work of the Church. At the meeting 
of Coetus in 1775 the last Wednesday of June was 
designated as a day of general fasting, repentance and 
prayer, which was to be observed in all congregations. 
In its report to Holland, under date of May 12, 1775, 
the Coetus says : " We live in precarious times, the 
like of which, so far as we know, has never been seen 
in America. The Lord knows what He has in store 
for us, and especially for our beloved Church. May 
our hearts truly and sincerely humble themselves be- 
fore the Lord. Perhaps God, angry because of our 
sins, may then relent and leave a new blessing behind 
Him, so that we may offer meat-offerings and thank- 
offerings to the Lord our God ! Dear Sirs and Fathers, 
do not forget us in your prayers to the merciful God, 
that He may not entirely avert from us His fatherly 
face, but always recognize us mercifully as His own." 
In the meeting of 1777 complaint is made about the 



268 



EARLY HISTORY 



distractions caused by the war. The observance of the 
Sabbath Day and family worship were greatly neg- 
lected. It was stated that the people were thinking 
more about arms than of God's word. — The close of 
the war was hailed with joy. In the minutes of Coe- 
tus of 1783 it is stated that special joy and cheerful- 
ness were apparent in both ministers and elders on ac- 
count of the blessed times of peace. The Coetus de- 
clares that the change of government was especially 
welcome to them, because the Reformed people of Hol- 
land and the United States could have more unre- 
stricted fellowship as citizens of two republics. 

In 1786 the Coetus complains about the evil effects 
of the war upon the life of the people — debauchery and 
luxury, instead of gratitude for what the Lord had 
done for them. A spirit of extravagance prevailed. 
Many people were no longer satisfied with home-made 
clothing, as before, and "lived above their stations." 
The ministers grieved over this spirit, but said that all 
admonitions were in vain. 

The Colonial Congress held its sessions in York, 
Pa., from September, 1777, to June, 1778. Many 
members of Congress attended worship in the Re- 
formed church, although the services were conducted 
in German, as did also Gen. George Washington whilst 
on a visit to Congress. Col. Philip Livingston, a mem- 
ber of Congress from New York and a signer of the 
Declaration of Independence, died during the sessions 
and was buried in the Reformed graveyard. His body 
was afterward removed to another place. 

As is well known, there was a time when people 
could be imprisoned for not paying their debts. Rev. 



OF THE EEFOEMED CHUECH. 



269 



J. F. Berger was one of those who failed to adorn the 
gospel by a godly walk and conversation. He was in- 
temperate and made debts which he failed to pay. 
AVhilst located at Reading he was imprisoned by some 
of his creditors. He regained his liberty by telling his 
creditors that the Coetus owed him as much money as 
was required to pay his debts, which he would secure 
at the approaching meeting. At the meeting he be- 
haved very unseemly, and he was no longer considered 
a member. 

It happened several times that young men here 
sought ordination from improper motives. One was a 
Mr. Eoth, who applied in 1785, but who " cared only 
for the honor and support." He was advised to drop 
his purpose, which, if carried out, " would result in the 
ruin of himself and his congregations/' Mr. Eoth ap- 
plied again in 1787, together with Mr. Giesse. Both 
were refused. Mr. Giesse " was directed to his school, 
and Mr. Roth to his carpenter's bench." Siuce then 
many young men have been accepted for the ministry 
who should have been sent to the plow or to mechani- 
cal tools. 

It would be interesting to know the number of Re- 
formed people in Pennsylvania at the beginning of the 
Reformed Church. Various reports have been made 
and published upon this subject, but most of them have 
been mere guess work, and vary greatly. The fact is, 
there is no reliable data at hand. There was no census 
in those days. 

The earliest report on the subject appears to be that 
of Reformed Deputies in 1730, based upon the state- 



270 



EARLY HISTORY 



merits of Rev. G. M. Weiss, then on a visit to Hol- 
land. They state that there are 15,000 Reformed in 
Pennsylvania, constituting about one-half of the popu- 
lation. This statement of proportion to population is 
certainly incorrect. The Reformed were not as numer- 
ous as all the other sects together — Quakers, Luther- 
ans, Mennonites, etc. The Reformed constituted fully 
one-half of those coming from the Palatinate. 

A letter from Pennsylvania to Holland, dated No- 
vember 23, 1731, estimated the number of Reformed 
at only 3000. In 1733 Revs. Rieger and Diemer esti- 
mated the number of all Germans in the state, Lutheran 
and Reformed, at 15,000. Rev. Michael Schlatter in 
1746 estimated the number of the Reformed at 12,000. 
In 1751 he gives the number of Reformed at 30,000. 
He estimated the whole population in Pennsylvania at 
190,000, of which about 90,000 were Germans. In the 
fifteen years between the two dates the increase in the 
number of immigrants was quite large. — About the 
only official reports at hand are the immigrant records 
kept at the port of Philadelphia, where all ships con- 
veying immigrants to Pennsylvania after 1710 landed, 
with one exception. Upon the arrival of every ship 
the numbers and names of persons on board were placed, 
upon record. Upon landing these newcomers were re- 
quired to take an oath of allegiance to the king of Eng- 
land. All Germans coming to Pennsylvania had to 
make this oath prior to 1750. These lists of names 
are published in the Pennsylvania Archives. The lists 
contain over 30,000 names. The fact that all those 
taking the oath were men, and many of them heads of 



OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. 



271 



families, justified the belief that by 1750 the number 
of German immigrants in Pennsylvania was about 
60,000. 

Not all independent ministers were bad. One of 
the exceptions was Rev. Philip Jacob Michael, who is 
supposed to have organized the Reformed church in 
Reading in 1753. In 1764 he applied for admission to 
the Coetus, and stated that he had applied twelve years 
before, but ^as refused by Rev. Mr. Schlatter because 
of unfounded reasons. He, therefore, labored on in a 
number of congregations in Maxatawny and elsewhere, 
but in harmony with the Coetus. The Coetus found 
that he was faithful in doctrine, life and conduct, and 
they recommend him for admission. The Holland 
Fathers declined to accept him, and therefore he la- 
bored on without ordination, because his people were 
well pleased with him. 

One of the remarkable statements is that the second 
building of the Reformed church in Philadelphia con- 
tained sittings for 2000 persons. This is incredible, al- 
though repeatedly so reported by Dr. Weyberg. It 
was dedicated on May 1, 1774, and had cost about 7000 
pounds. The church was said to be one of the finest 
in the city. The dedication was followed by a series 
of a week's services, during which two or three services 
were held each day, except one. 

The first Reformed ministers here who received the 
honorary title of Doctor of Divinity were Revs. John 
Joachim Zubly, Casper Weyberg and William Hendel. 
This title was conferred upon Mr. Zubly by the Col- 
lege of New Jersey in 1770, and upon Revs. Weyberg 



272 



EARLY HISTORY 



and Hendel by the Academy of Princeton, N. J., in 
the fall of 1787. The title was neither sought nor ex- 
pected. It was well bestowed. 

The condition in which many of the early immi- 
grants reached Philadelphia was shocking. The ships 
are described as floating hospitals and pest-houses, filled 
with small-pox, and all the other diseases of crowding 
and dirt, which increased frightfully during the long 
voyages of two and three months. One ship had a 
voyage of six months, and the surviving passengers are 
said to have lived on rats and vermin. It is said that 
some ships lost one-third of their passengers, and one 
particular ship is said to have lost 250 passengers dur- 
ing the voyage. Saur stated that in one year 2000 
Germans died while on the way across the Atlantic 
ocean. This report does not appear to have been over- 
drawn. 



CORRECTIONS. 

Page 13, Samuel Guldin was born in 1664, not 1660. 

Pages 28 and 41, Skippack church was erected in 1729, not 1727. 

Pages 36 and 234, Boehm's congregation was organized in 1747, not 
1740. Ths year 1740 on da,te stone is not correct 

Page 41, Skippack and Swamp churches were organized in 1725, not 
1720. 

Page 84, Weiss and Reiff went to Europe in 1730, not 1729. 
Page 90, the Dutch church in New York was organized in 1628, not 
1626. 

The late Elder Henry S. Dotterer, of Philadelphia, who was a zealous 
student of Reformed Church history, expressed his doubt that Rev. Sam- 
uel Guldin resided in Oley, Berks county, as stated on page 15. Rev. Mr. 
Guldin owned land in Oley, but Mr. Dot erer believed that it was occupied 
by his son of the same name. This is inferred partly from the fact that 
the father died in Philadelphia. 



OF THE EEFOEMED CHUECH. 



273 



INDEX. 



Allemangel Church, 208. 
Allen, William, 30, 107. 
Allentown, 161, 174. 
Alsentz, 118. 
Amwell, N. J., 98. 
Anne, Queen, 10. 
Annville, 130. 
Antes, Fred., 150. 

Antes, Henry, 40, 69, 70, 72, 73, 80. 
Antonides, Vincent, 55. 
Arend, 151. 

Baldwin, John, 119. 

Baptism, 56. 

Barren Hill Church, 90. 

Bartholomaeus, D., 65, 252, 262. 

Bailsman, William, 98, 202, 204. 

Bechtel, John, 69, 70, 72, 73, 80. 

Becker, Henry, 211. 

Berger, John, 172. 

Berger, J. F., 269. 

Bern Church, 164. 

Bethany, Lancaster County, 26, 174. 

Bickel, Tobias, 76. 

BindnagePs Church, 209. 

Blumer, A., 91, 95, 135-6, 151, 195. 

Boehm, John Philip, 16, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35, 
36, 40, 41, 51, 53, 55, 56, 58, 65, 66, 67, 68, 
71, 72, 75, 81, 83, 85, 88, 104, 105, 115, 154, 
155, 162, 188, 203, 207, 227, 230, 234-5, 237- 
9, 240-2, 257-8. 



274 



INDEX. 



Boehm's Church, 36, 47, 52, 177, 234-236. 

Boel, Henry, 55. 

Bouquet, Col. Henry, 126-8. 

Bower, Capt. Jacob, 140. 

Boyer, Gabriel, 46. 

Boyertown Reformed Church, 47. 

Brandmiller, 70. 

Brickerville Church, 245. 

Brotherhood, 182. 

Brown, Enoch, 131. 

Bucher, J. C, 117, 128, 131, 147, K0. 

Bushy Run, 127, 129. 

Cacusi, 26, 76, 116. 

Campbellstown, 118. 

Carlisle, 129. 

Catechism, 64, 88, 202. 

Censura Morum, 100-101. 

Chambersburg, 130. 

Chandler, S., 113. 

Charity Schools, 111-114. 

Children's Day, 179-181. 

Chitara, Ludovicus, 266. 

Clymer, William, 108. 

Cocalico, 24, 26, 62, 92, 116, 243. 

Coetus, 55, 56, 58, 62, 63, 64,[66, 88, 89, 90-95. 

Coetus of New York, 259. 

Communion, 56. 

Conestoga, 12, 24, 44, 55, 116, 240. 
Consistory, 57. 
Constitution, 55-58. 
Corner Church, 210. 
Craig, William, 119. 

David's Church, 126. 
Decker, B. J., 251. 
DeHaas, General, 147-8. 
Dellicker, 152, 195. 



INDEX. 



275 



DeLong's Church, 249. 

DeWees, 39, 40. 

Diemer, Dr. John, 24, 166, 270. 

Dorsius, P. H., 67, 85, 115, 168, 188. 

Douglassville, 10. 

Dubendorf, Samuel, 265. 

DuBois, G., 55. 

DuBois, J., 193. 

Duquesne, Fort, 126. 

Dylander, 29. 

Easton, 47, 92, 113, 149, 176, 263. 
Eberhard, Michael D., 175. 
Eckert, Valentine, 146. . 
Egypt Church, 210. 
Elders, 56, 96-99. 
Erlentown, 244. 

Fahring, 99. 
Falk, Gabriel, 82. 
Falkner, Daniel, 40. 

Falkner Swamp, 11, 26, 27, 28, 36, 39, 40, 44, 51, 56, 

116, 154, 207. 
Farmer, Col., 151. 
Finney, 160. 
Fort Washington, 40. 
Franciscus, L. C, 257. 
Frankenfeld, 62, 89. 
Franklin College, 194-197. 
Fritz, 249. 

Gerhard, Frederick, 76. 

Germantown, 15, 24, 48, 70, 99, 102, 103, 116, 167, 

218, 255. 
Germantown, Ya., 16. 
Giesse, 269. 
Girard, Stephen, 170. 
Gloninger, Hon. John, 147, 148-9. 
Gloninger, Philip, 196. 



276 



INDEX. 



Gnadenhiitten, 131. 

Gobrecht, John, 175. 

Goetschi, Maurice, 85. 

Goetschius, Henry, 79. 

Goshenhoppen, 24, 55, 62. 

Gowns, 201. 

Great Swamp, 116. 

Greenawald, Philip, 195. 

Greenwich Township, Berks County, 131. 

Griesemer, Casper, 46. 

Grindstone Hill Church, 212. 

Gross, John D., 137, 151, 197. 

Grosscup, 151. 

Grubben Church, 209. 

Guldin, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13-16, 17, 71, 83, 198, 225. 

Haeger, Henry, 16. 
Hain, George, 208. 

Hain's Church, 26, 32, 33, 46, 76, 99, 126, 146, 208, 
219. 

Haller, Col. Henry, 139, 140. 
Hamilton, Alexander, 169. 
Hannatown, 266. 
Heidelberg Churches, 214. 
Heidelberg Township, Berks County, 76. 
Helffenstein, Jacob, 255. 

Helffenstein, J. C. A., 135, 158-9, 195, 197, 262. 
Heller's Church, Lancaster County, 241-3. 
Hempfield, 266. 

Hendel, William, 91, 95, 98, 126, 152, 162, 170, 195, 

197, 202, 204, 232, 271. 
Herkimer, General N., 138. 
Herman, F. L., 136-7, 197. 
Hickory town, 47. 
Hiester, Gabriel, 143. 
Hiester, Gov. Joseph, 141-2, 195. 
Hill Church, Berks County, 210. 



INDEX. 



Hill Church, Lebanon County, 33, 44, 209. 

Hillegas, 147, 166. 

HimmePs Church, 212. 

Hochreutiner, 65, 252. 

Hock, John Jacob, 244, 256. 

Hoffmeier, J. H., 200. 

Host Church, 31, 53, 207. 

Huff's Church, 213. 

Hummelstown, 130. 

Hunter, Daniel, 144. 

Indians, 32, 33, 47. 
Indian War, 125-131. 
Ingold, John W., 195. 

James, Abel, 108. 

Kalm, Peter, 29. 
Keith, Sir William, 23, 157. 
Kern, John M., 136. 
Kershner, Conrad, 32. 
Kichline, Peter, 142, 149-150. 
Knowlton, K J., 266. 
Kremer, F. W., 180. 

Lancaster, 24, 44, 47, 61, 67, 92, 106, 113, 116, 

176, 200, 203, 205, 243-4, 256. 
Lange, 99. 

Language Question,. 154-6, 157-161. 

Lawrence, Thomas, 107, 167. 

Layenberger, Francis, 31. 

Lebanon, 33, 129, 130, 161, 176, 180, 203. 

Lehighton, 131. 

Lein, John, 242. 

Leinbach, A. S., 117. 

Lesher, John, 46, 143. 

Leyd, J., 192. 

Leydich, Philip, 65. 

Liberty Bell, 135-6. 



278 



INDEX. 



Lischy, Jacob, 61, 62, 70, 72, 73, 76-78, 80, 81. 

Logao, James, 168. 

Lord, Thomas, 108. 

Lotz, Col. Nicholas, 140. 

Lupp, Ludwig, 203. 

Lutherans, 29, 31, 33. 

Lykens Valley, 126, 265. 

Lynntown Church, 208. 

Manhattan Island, 90. 
Maxatawny, 24, 116. 
Mennonites, 228. 
Michael, Ph. J., 45, 133, 271. 
Michaelius, John, 90. 
Mickley, John J., 136. 
Middletown, 130. 
Mifflin, John, 108, 169. 
Miller, Fred. C, 248. 
Miller, John, 60. 

Miller, John Peter, 12, 230, 246, 256. 
Molatton, 10, 82. 
Moonshine Church, 210. 

Moravians, 36, 61, 69, 70, 72-75, 76-78, 80-82. 

Morning Land Church, 209. 

Mt. Pleasant, 266. 

Muddy Creek, 27, 37, 77, 199, 246. 

Mueller, Sebastian, 99. 

Muhlenberg, H. M., 249. 

Muskingum River, 129. 

Nagel, Col. George, 138. 
Nagel, Col. Peter, 139. 
Neisser, George, 74. 
Neshaminy, 39. 
Nevelling, J. W. G., 133-5. 
New Born, 79. 
Newcastle, 20. 
New Goshenhoppen, 116 



INDEX. 



279 



New Haoover, 21, 113. Kauch, C. H., 70. 

New Luneburg, Nova Sco- Reading, 24, 27, 33, 45, 

tia, 63. 46, 47, 53, 113, 117, 

Nitschman, Bishop, 77. 130, 176, 217, 262. 
North Heidelberg, Berks Red Churches, 212. 

County, 76, 78. Redemptioners, 23, 225. 

01^,16, 24, 26, 46, 55, g^^*^^ 

Otterbein, 89, 189, 200. ^^1^91. 

Palatines, 23, 31, 32. Reynell, John, 167. 

Parsons, William, 113. Rieger, John B., 24, 64, 65, 

Pauli, Philip, 262. 67 88 166 244 2 61, 

Pauli, William, 160. 2 70. 

Pemberton Israel, 167 R obe rts, Hugh, 108. 

Penn Wilham, 9, 10, 23, Roedel) Jacob) 176> 

204. Roland, John, 114, 262. 

Pennsylvania Synods, 70. R Daniel 141< 

Pequea, 202. Roth, 269. 

Pernisius, Peter P., 264. R ot henbuhler, 52, 162, 254. 

Perquisites, 123-4. Roxboro 15 

Peters, Richard, 109, 113. Royer > s Church, 245. 

E?m ^V 260 ;. Rubel, John C, 90, 109. 

Philadelphia, 10, 23, 24, 9 9 9 

?a' fa 9 52' f?' io 9 3 Sala ^ 115 " 119 - 

tf> t 6 A 47 ^o 51, ,3 ^ Salem (Heller's), 241-3. 

??i \°*> }^- U0 > Sassaman, Henry, 214. 

I *l}X i}\ ? V3 ™ Sattazahn's Church, 210. 

6, 254 259 271. g C, 71, 109, 114, 260-1. 

Pine Valley, 250 Schildknappen, 167. 

Pithan, John W 263 Schlatter, 27, 29, 30, 32, 
Pitt, Fort ,126 129, 266. 33 34 37 51 52 59 

Porter, 1. C., 130. 86 _ 90? 96? 102 ^ 103 ^ 

Pottstown, 161. 105-110, 111-114, 115, 

Queen's College, N. J., 192. 126, 132, 154, 166-8, 

Quittapahilla Church, 210. 178, 189, 199, 230, 235, 



280 



INDEX. 



246, 247-8, 253, 258, Tan Vlecq, 39. 

261, 270, 271. Vincent, Chester Co., 47. 

Sehmalzgass Church, 208. Virginia, 59. 

Schoharie, N. Y, 23. Vock, L. F., 117, 201. 

Schumacher, Daniel, 250. Voting, 102-3. 

Shoemaker B., 107. Waldschmid, 45, 89, 98, 99, 

Skippack, 11, 24, 25, 27, ^02 

TAf'fk^aYal' Washington, 137, 141, 151- 
104,105 113,116,164. 153 1 68 .' 

Slavery 225-229 Weidler, Michael, 242. 

Smi h, DrWm 113,137. Weike l, John H., 133. 

Smith, John 108 We ; Conrad gl 

Societies 182-187. Wei G M 3Q 42 

Spyker ,145 67 6g g3 g4 gg 

L2 °r S 'M 98 ' 10i > l6& > lh °> 165 > 189 ' 

btapel, C._M., 98. 226 23Q 2gg 2ya 

^T'oon'o ! 9 ' 6 ' Wentz's Church, 42, 105. 

a. w' u oto Westmoreland, 265. 

St. Elias Church 213. Weyberg 95 132 151 i 62 , 

Steuben, Baron, 137-8 / 9g 2 % 264 2?1 ' 

St, John s Forest , 212. Whitemarsh 26 27 36 39 

St. John s (Ham's), 32 40,44,56,117. 

St. Luke's Trappe 207. whit ' e ^ k ' 17g . 

Stoy, W. J., 45, 89, 98. Whitpen 53 . 

St. PauVs, Berks Co., 210. Wido VFund, i 89 _i 9 o. 

St. Paul s, Robesoma, 211. Winkhaus 162 169 . 

St. Peters Berks Co 211. wiggl John j gg lgg> 

Swatara Church, 209. Wittner , 98 , 263. 

bwedes, 29. Women's Society, 184-187. 

Tempelmann, 12, 33, 35, J 

36-38, 66, 83, 193, 199, Yellow Fever > 169-171. 

209, 240-6, 256, 258. York, 60-62, 113, 174. 

Tempelmann Hill, 37. Zeltenreich, Andreas, 244. 

Trinity, Tulpehocken, 31. Zeltenreich Church, 244. 

Tulpehocken, 23, 24, 31, Ziegel Church, 211. 

32, 55, 68, 82,116, 126, Zinzendorf, 16, 36, 69, 74, 

131, 145. 77, 80,81. 

Twifoot 205. Zubly, 136. 

* f 



